Mein Poltergeist
by J.L.Lunar
Summary: <html><head></head>Marik moves into a new home, where the ghost of Bakura Touzouku haunts it. The ghost is hungry to live again, and it all comes down to the dwindling choice of which way is right. Thiefshipping.</html>
1. Chapter 1: Hello Spirit

_ Bakura screamed. Oh Gods how he screamed. His brother fell, blood pooling from his empty eyesockets. He landed with a loud thump next to his mother's body. The body that had been disembowled. He could see the organs had been shoved into her mouth._

_ And Bakura threw up._

_ Unmanly as it was, he couldn't help it. Weakly, he scrambled over to their dead bodies, flipping them over so that they were on their backs. Tears streaked down his face as he felt intestines brush his arms._

_ And then it was his turn._

_ He heard the man, those loud, dragging footsteps, before he turned. This strange man, who had been nice to his mother, taken her on dates, promised her everything . . ._

_ Now it all ended with an upraised knife._

-(-o-)-

Marik Ishtar sat in the back of the car, legs crossed, and a perpetually bored look on his face as he stared out the window, eyes halfway lidded. His sister, Ishizu, sat in the front seat, while his older brother, Melvin, was next to him, elbowing him painfully every once in a while, relishing in the way his brother winced.

"So . . . What is this house like?" Ishizu asked nervously from the front seat, shifting slightly to look at their mother.

"Oh . . . Well, it's nice." Their mother shrugged. "I think the family who lived there died, but I'm sure it'll be okay."

Ishizu and Marik both glared at their mother, while Melvin just smirked and ran his fingernail down the glass window. Everyone cringed, as he cackled. "Fuck yeah! We get a haunted house!"

"Nobody said it was haunted!" Their mother snapped. "And watch your language."

Melvin sneered at her from the backseat, before grinning at Marik.

"Hey, pussy, ya gonna be wettn' your pants everynight?" Marik chose to ignore this statement. "Hey, bitch!" Melvin hissed. "I'm talkin' to you!" Marik felt his hair being yanked on, and he turned around and slapped his brother's hand away.

"Leave my hair alone . . ." Marik turned back to the window, face burning from the loud, obnoxious laughter emitting from his brother.

Finally, though, they pulled their car into the new driveway. It was a pretty average house. Not like what most people think when they hear 'haunted house'. It was just a large, brown house, with nothing remarkable about it. Other then the fact that it was pretty far out of town, it wasn't strange at all. Melvin sighed in dissapointment, before hopping out of the car.

Marik followed, helping bring suitcases into the house. They'd brought the bare neccesity; their uncle was going to be bringing the rest up next week. He'd said that the house already had some furniture though, which wasn't a lie. A white couch and chair occupied the living room, while beds were upstairs. They'd been stripped of sheets and pillows, but they'd brought their own, anyways.

Melvin raced upstairs to claim a bedroom, while Marik stood tentativly next to Ishizu.

His sister had a hand fisted in her long black hair, while fiddling with the golden jewlery clamped around it. Ishizu had a history of being the 'family psychic'. She couldn't move stuff around, and she didn't really see things, but she seemed to sense when things weren't right.

"Everything okay?" Marik questioned. Ishizu just made a noise in the back of her throat, before walking upstairs.

"You'd better find you a room."

Marik sighed in agreement, before picking up his bags and clomping up the stairs. He headed towards a room in the darkest part of the house. Despite Melvin's teasings about Marik being a sissy, he wasn't really. Nothing really phased him, and he liked being in the dark.

Stepping into his new room, he saw it was average as well. No creepy old man floating around, no little boy throwing a ball and staring at him with sightless eyes. He couldn't help but feel slightly dissapointed. He plopped his bags down near the bed, before pulling sheets and covers from within it.

Making his bed with his purple and gold sheets, he set some pillows down as well. Yawning and stretching, Marik sat on his new bed, and stared around the room, almost willing something to happen.

But of course nothing did.

Rising from his position, he exited the room, not seeing the floating pillow behind him.

-(-o-)-

His mother had forgotten to pack real food, so they all ended up crowded around a cooler eating peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, while fighting over a single bag of Doritos. However, Marik had to admit, it was strange sitting as a family to eat. They hardly ever did anything together.

Ishizu popped open a Dr. Pepper, before handing it to Marik. Just as he reached out to recieve it, though, the soda flew from Ishizu's outstretched hand, and crashed into a wall, leaking its contents all down the side.

Their mother cried out in dismay, before heading for the large pile of napkins. "Honestly, Ishizu! I expected this from Melvin but. . ." Ishizu tried to explain that she hadn't thrown the can, but their mother just made an angry noice, before swiping at the soda, trying to clean it off of the walls.

Marik believed Ishizu, though. He'd seen that his sister's hand was tight around the can. Looking into her pale face, she knew it too. Melvin just flopped down on his back and laughed rudely while he hogged the potato chip bag, now that no one as paying attention.

-(-o-)-

Bakura stared hatefully at them all. How dare they enter his home, those stupid mortals? He'd died less two years ago, after all! Was it really okay to go traisping around in someone's home before they even died properly?

The spirit boy floated around them, knowing that they couldn't see him unless he made himself apparent. He made faces at them as he flew, watching the mother work to get the soda off the wall with a smirk. Bakura then settled down next to the boy with long, blond hair, wearing an embarrasingly revealing shirt as if it were nothing.

Bakura had to admit; he hated this one most of all. This boy had taken his room. _His bloody room!_ Bakura didn't like that. He lifted a ghostly hand to the boy, before prodding him silghtly, causing the boy to jump and whirl around, eyes wide in confusion. Bakura cackled, before he began to float around the boy, pinching and prodidng his upper body, before giving one last, hard jerk to the boy's hair, causing him to topple backwards.

The boy mumbled something, before rising to the sitting position again. His sister was giving him a worried look, asking if he felt any sudden chills or something stupid like that. Their brother was just laughing it up, mimicking the boy Bakura had messed with.

Bakura thought long and hard of his mother then. She'd always said you couldn't hate someone without knowing their name; common courtesy. So Bakura listened all that night for the boy's name. He recieved none though, and, thoroughly put out, he floated angrily behind the boy as he strutted-yes, that was the only word for how the boy walked-to his bedroom. They entered together, but Bakura waited untilt he child had shut the door, before grinning maniacly. Oh, he would get that name.

-(-o-)-

Marik slipped off his shirt and pants, before rummaging in his bag for some pajama bottoms. All of a sudden, the bag was lifted upwards, and he was left staring at his floating duffel bag.

Just friggn' great.

The ghost apparently decided it didn't like Marik.

Awesome.

"Look, spirit," the duffel bag almost fell, supposedly from the spirit's surprise. "If you're unhappy or miserable, that's your deal. I can't help you, so just leave me alone." Marik crossed his arms over his chest, before looking down. He frowned, as he realized he didn't look very threatening in his purple boxers.

"Boooooo Mooooooortaaaaaaaal!" A ghostly voice tremored from near the duffel bag. "We are noooooooot oooooneeee buuuuut maaaaaaaaany!" The voice came from a corner this time, but Marik didn't believe it. It was the same voice, not that of another spirit. Sighing and rolling his eyes, the tanned boy reached for the duffel bag. It was jerked from his grasp, and he glared at where the spirit's hand was supposedly holding it.

"Now, look! I just want some friggn' pajamas so I don't freeze my friggn' butt of in my friggn' boxers, okay?" Marik shouted, huffing angrily.

He heard what sounded like a giggle. "You say friggn' a lot."

Marik scowled and slammed his hand against his forehead. "Ra dammit! This is annoying!" A knock sounded on his door.

Just great.

Marik made his way over to the door, ignoring the laughing spirit, and opened it, revealing his sister Ishizu.

"Brother . . ." She asked softly. "My head hurts and . . . There seems to be something coming from your room."

"Dammit!" Ishizu blinked in surprise as a voice sounded from behind Marik. "Does nobody in this fucking family say names! It's always 'brother' this and 'brother that! What the fuck is wrong with you people." Ishizu immediatly pushed back Marik, before peering into the room and seeing a duffel bag being tossed around.

"Oh my . . ."

"Why do you need our names?" Marik questioned, scowling at his nosy sister.

"Because I want to hate you," the ghost answered, and the duffel bag dropped. "My mum used to say that if you want to hate someone, then you have to know their name, at the least. It was always her rule." Marik stared incredulously at the air.

"Why . . . Why do you want to hate me?" He finally spluttered, reaching out and grabbing his duffel bag. Extracting some purple and gold pinstriped pajama bottoms from it, he never let his eyes leave where he thought the ghost was. But he was wrong, for as soon as he started to pull up his bottoms, he felt ghostly hands brush over his hips, grip the elastic waistband of them, and hike them up so high that Marik's eyes watered, and his feet came off the ground.

Ishizu cried out in surprise, while Marik's was in pain, and she lurched forward, gripping Marik's upper arm, and tugging with all her might. The spirit released Marik, though, and sent the two siblings toppling down together.

Groaning, they both seperated, before rising to their feet once more. The spirit's cackle came from several different locations all at once. "He can throw his voice. Awesome," Marik mumbled drily, and Ishizu frowned.

"I am Ishizu Ishtar, and this is my brother Ma-" A hand clamped roughly over Ishizu's mouth, and the elder sister tried to pry it off.

"Oh, hell no!" Marik growled, glaring at Ishizu. "If he wants my name, that stupid bastard can work for it-"

Melvin walked in. "Hey, Marik, ya little pussy. Mom wants to know if you've seen the shit for the bathroom." The older brother then paused, tilting his head, as he saw Marik with his hand over Ishizu's mouth, while they were both breathing deeply, looking highly ashamed. "Oh . . . Holy hell!" Melvin cackled, before running from the room. "Mom! Mom guess what!"

"No! Brother, you have it wrong!" Ishizu took off after Melvin, hitching up her dress to give her legs more freedom.

Marik turned a dull gaze around all of his room. "Well . . ."

"Marik Ishtar." The spirit sniggered. "I am Bakura Touzouku. Now you can hate me too. Ain't it great?" Booming laughter filled his room, and Marik scowled.

"Show yourself, spirit," the blond commanded, fixing his pajamas as he glared angrily at nothing. The laughter stopped.

"Fine then . . ." A boy appeared before Marik, about his age, with completely white skin and hair. Blazing red eyes scorched from the middle of it all. The boy, deffinitly Bakura, wore a blue jacket over a blue and white striped shirt, with regular blue jeans on. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he was giving a facial expression that appeared to be a mixture of anger and pouting.

"So Bakura. . . You're going to make my life a living hell for as long as I live here aren't you?" A nod. "Perfect . . ." Marik muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Mind me asking why?" A shrug. "Dammit! Answer my questions, at least!"

Bakura sneered, before shoving his tongue out. Marik was unhappily reminded of Melvin, who was no doubt downstairs telling his mother about how he and Ishizu were up here conducting sinister acts of incest. This day just couldn't get better.

"Just . . . Go away then." Marik scowled, rubbing his temples as he turned his back on the spirit. He flopped down on his bed. Laughter echoed in his ears as he felt something flop down on the bed next to him, taking up over half of it.

Marik launched into the sitting position, seeing a smirking Bakura laying there, sprawled out. "I've never slept with another man before," Bakura winked. "I hope I'm up to the task."

The blond boy jumped up, making a noise of annoyance that sounded something like "NGYAHG!" before he turned on his heel and stomped over to a corner of the room, dragging his blanket along behind him.

"Aw, baby. Was it something I said?" Bakura questioned, a smirk on his lips as he hung of the foot of the bed.

And thus started Marik's first day in his new haunted house.

-(-o-)-

**Tell me what you think. =D Pleases?**

**And A Never Ending Dream is still gonna continue. =D Though, it's probably nearing a conclusion kinda soon-ish.**

**Anyways, please review! Even if it's just something simple, or you wanna tell me that it's the worst story friggn' ever, I don't care. I just like to know what you guys think.**

**Ja ne!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Trick To Far

Marik woke up earlier then he would've wanted to normally, as he heard his brother and sister shuffling around in their morning daze. Today was their first day back to school. However, the youngest sibling wasn't attending.

Instead, he stared at the cieling, hearing the sounds of the toilet flushing and the sink running. He waited until he was sure Ishizu and Melvin were done, before he stood up, yawning and stretching. His back hurt from sleeping on the floor.

Looking over at his bed, he saw a smirking Bakura watching him.

Damn.

Marik rose on weak legs, before he headed towards the exit. He felt a cool breeze run up his back as a ghostly finger traced his scarred back. Whirling around, Marik fixed the spirit with a deadly gaze.

"I noticed those last night, too. What are they?" Bakura was floating in the air, rolling over onto his back as he stared upsdie down at the blond boy before him. With a sneer, Marik ignored the question, and exited the room. Bakura scowled, and came up behind him, gripping the butt of Marik's pajamas, causing the boy to yelp and jump, slapping his hands to his rump.

Melvin, who had just re-exited his bedroom, raised his eyebrows. Bakura had made himself invisible, and had left Marik standing their, gripping his ass.

Fantabulous.

"Look, bro, I know you're lonely, but there are just somethings that you can't do . . ." Melvin grinned as Marik's face slowly grew redder, as the younger sibling tried to splutter out what had really happened. Melvin just smirked. "Look, ya don't have to explain to me. After all, didn't I make the rule of knocking before entering." He winked at Marik's disgusted face, taking it for something else, as he stooped down over his brother. "I got some magazines if ya need 'em. Just don't tell mom or Ishizu." Then Melvin was gone, hands in his pockets with his messenger backpack swinging near his hips.

Marik groaned and buried his heated face in his hands. Bakura floated out of Melvin's room, holding some magazines, staring at them. He looked downwards and frowned. "I don't feel anything . . . Hn . . ." Oh good Gods! Marik reeled away and headed into the bathroom, unable to take all these disgusting males around him.

Slamming the door behind him, he quickly headed to the toilet. As he was reaching into his pants (**AN: Holy crap, I am a girl so . . . I know with jeans you'd have to unzip them, but with pajamas would you just . . . Y'know . . . Whip it out? ._. EFF IGNORE ME!)**, Bakura's face popped out of the toilet. Marik screamed and jumped back, hitting his legs on the edge of the toilet and falling back into the wet surface. He groaned as his head hit the bathroom wall, before he stood up, heavily panting.

Ishizu practically knocked down the door, just to see her brother breathing heavily with his hands down his pants. "O-Oh my . . ." Ishizu's face turned completely red before she headed out.

"Are you trying to make me out as a pervert?" He hissed, removing his hand from his pants and crouching down next to the toilet, glaring into the face of the spirit. Bakura slowly floated up from within it, grinning at the boy before settling on the toilet seat.

"Maybe?" Marik glared.

"Well quit it! And I have to piss! Move your ass!" Marik snarled, still talking in a whisper as he swatted futilely at the spirit, his hand phasing through, and immense cold washing over each time.

"Oh, baby. I didn't know you were into golden showers,"(**AN:Okay . . . I think this is still counted as T, seeing as my dad is who I learned this from . . . However, if you don't know, I do not reccomend you go looking it )** Bakura smirked at Marik's face, before standing up and moving away. "Well, you are a man. I suppose I won't deny you this." That ghostly chuckle slowly faded along with the spirit. Marik waited a few moments, before continuing with his earlier task.

After he was finished, he headed downstairs. His mother gave him funny look, before slowly setting down a cereal bowl for him. She seated herself across the table from him, before giving him a tentative glance.

"Honey," she coughed, clearing her throat. "I know you're getting to that age where-"

"Oh Gods, mom, no!" Marik interrupted, and his mother hid her face behind a curtain of long black hair, coughing slightly. "Mom . . ." He said again, this time softer. "I'm not . . . Doing stuff like that. And I'm sixteen." A grim smile was what she got from him. "I've heard of pretty much anything you can tell me." His mother's jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered and stood up.

"I-I have to go to work . . . U-Um . . . Make sure you do your homework, okay sweetie?" Marik nodded, trying not to laugh at his mother's flustered state. She leaned forward, as if to kiss him on the forehead, but stopped halfway there, looking him up and down. Then, she hurried out the door, locking it behind her.

Marik sighed, and tucked into his ceral.

Well, he would've, had it not blown up in his face.

Looking up, knowing good and well who the culprit was, he saw Bakura through a curtain of milk leaking from his hair. The tanned boy scowled at the spirit, who sat their laughing, watching Marik as the boy began to clean up the cereal.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Bakura sneered, crossing his arms and legs while he enjoyed the tanned boy's labor. However, Marik's body went rigid when Bakura said those words, and there was a slight pause where Marik seemed to hover in time, before just grunting and finished cleaning the cereal.

Turning on the sink, Marik rinsed the milk out of his hair. This was a bad move, however, since Bakura, quite put out at being ignored, made the top of the faucet bust off, spewing water everywhere all over the kitchen. He laughed maniacly as Marik screamed and scrambled away, before hurrying back and trying to stem the gushing flow of water with a towel. Finally, when there was an inch of water on the kitchen, the ghost let the water ease and finally stop, as Marik slid to the floor in the lake of water.

His mother was going to kill him . . .

Ishizu was going to hate him. . .

And Melvin . . . Oh Gods Melvin would be unbearable. . .

Marik bit his lip, before his shoulders began to shake.

Dammit! He was such a burden to everyone! It was his fault they were stuck in this stupid house, with this stupid ghost that was doing everything stupidly possible to inconvenience his family! And it was _his fucking fault_ their dad left. Marik clenched his fists, his whole body shaking.

But he wouldn't cry.

Taking in deep, gulping breaths, he stood up and completely ignored Bakura, while reaching for the mop. He opened the back door that was in the kitchen, and began to shovel water out with the mop. He got the majority of it out, before shutting the door and taking towels and a hair dryer to the rest of it.

By the time Ishizu and Melvin walked in, it was only damp, and no one noticed a thing. Marik, however, was sent to bed without dinner since he hadn't gotten his homework done like his mother had told him.

Great . . . No breakfast, no lunch, and now no dinner. Marik shuffled to the corner that his covers were in, before flopping down on them and curling up. Now, to top it all off, he couldn't even sleep in his own bed, since, upon entering, the spirit had been occupying it.

Actually, going over the day, Marik could honestly say that was the only _good _thing. The spirit hadn't messed with Marik since he'd popped off the water spout (which Marik had spent about an hour trying to get back on).

Bakura was actually quite angry. Marik had shown no signs of anger, hadn't lashed out at the spirit, or anything! He'd just dutifully cleaned it up like it was everyday chores. Angry glares kept coming from the spirit as he stared at the blond boy curled up in the corner. Even now, he hadn't come bursting in, demanding the spirit get out of his bed.

The spirit was having fun, there for a while, too! Seeing the little boy squirm as his brother, sister, and mother all thought naughty things about him. Crawling to the edge of the bed, Bakura made himself invisible as he floated over, hovering above the boy. He could see silent tears rolling down the cheeks of the boy. Bakura started from surprise, before twirling around the boy a few times. But, as sudden as the tears were, they ended the same. It was quite unsettling, since Marik's face showed no emotion during, or after crying. The expression was merely a blank slate as the tear drops ran, and then with a blink, quit.

Bakura floated away, landing on the bed again, nestling downwards.

So he'd made the boy cry . . .

Well, then tomorrow he'd just have to make him cry more.

Anything to get his house back!

-(-o-)-

Marik woke up before getting dressed, ignoring the wolf whistles Bakura kept making from the corner. The blond dressed in a tight purple tanktop with the boy and girl gender signs interlinked, and black shorts, before trotting downstairs to the kitchen table.

He'd woken up late on purpose, as to not see his family.

On the kitchen table, he saw a plate of cookies with a note from Ishizu saying:

_Marik, do not eat these. They are for mother's work. They are having a birthday party for her boss._

_ ~Ishizu_

Marik set the note down, before heading to the refridgerator. From atop it he snatched up some Fruity Pebbles, before reaching inwards and grabbing milk. He made himself some cereal, before sitting down at the table and tucking in.

He saw Bakura floating in, as the spirit sat in on of the unoccupied chairs at the table. The white haired ghost noticed the cookies, as a grin split his face. Marik didn't even notice. He was still unbelievable angry at the spirit for yesterday's pranks.

The spirit, in much the same way, remembered angrily how Marik hadn't had a satisfactory reaction. So, staring at the plate of cookies, he stretched out a hand, snatching up several of the cookies. He crunched them up, just as Marik had the sense to look up. It was too late then, though, as the spirit had crunched up allt he cookies, and had tossed the crumbs into the trashcan, never to be seen again.

Marik stared, horrified, at the empty platter. He turned a zombified gaze at Bakura.

Grinning, Bakura floated in mid air, his legs criss cross applesauce as he studied the boy before him. Any minute now. . .

Marik gulped, before standing up. He suddenly felt very sick and didn't feel like cereal anymore. He dumped out his bowl before heading upstairs, devoid of all emotion as he crawled onto his bed to begin working on his homework.

Bakura, downstairs, was cursing up a storm though as he floated upwards, through the second story's flor, before floating down the hallway to Marik's room. He saw the boy working on his homework, before storming over, letting his feet make pounding noises as the alert the blond before him.

"Hey!" Bakura shouted, as Marik lifted lavender eyes upward.

"Yes, spirit?" Marik questioned, setting his pencil down to watch the ghost.

"Why the hell won't you give me a reaction?"

Marik studied him for a moment, before sneering. "You're just a pathetic ghost who wants attention. You're not worth me waisting my time." The boy then flopped onto his stomach and began working on his essay. He'd been working on it since even before they had moved. He was going to have it finished the other day, but that plan had been ruined. So now, running on its tenth page, he was finally drawing the thing to a close.

_!_

All ten pages split down the middle, then horizontally. Finally, all the pieces floated into the air, before they were shredded into confetti and scattered around the stunned Marik. His hand loosened on his pencil as he stared, dumbfounded, into sparking, angry red eyes.

"Oh Gods . . ." Marik whimpered. He'd made one mistake this week. Now, with the cookies gone, and his homework not done. . . ."Oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods . . .. " Marik bit his lip, clutching at his arms. He knew who dealt the punishment, now that his father was gone and his mother didn't have the stomach for it.

Bakura watched the boy, before frowning. He looked terrified? Bakura wanted anger, perhaps even sadness. . . He just wanted the boy gone. Why was he so scared? Bakura wasn't going to phsycially harm him; all the spirit wanted was some fun.

But he got his answer soon, when all of his family members came home.

Marik was sat in the kitchen, as his mother screamed continuously at him, questioning him on why he was being such a brat here lately. Ishizu kept giving him an angry look, but it often softened. Maybe she was thinking about Bakura.

The spirit watched it all silently, until the mother waved a hand at Melvin. Marik immediatly shrunk back, but his brother reached forward and grabbed a fistfull of Marik's shirt, pulling his brother along. Bakura followed after, and he saw a sad look cross Ishizu's features.

Marik was marched into Melvin's bedroom, where the older boy bent Marik over on the bed, before pulling a switch out of his closet. He beat Marik with the switch, until the boy was on the ground, curled up and crying from the pain. Whenever Marik would try to alleviate the pain from his butt, his brother would instead just hit whatever he could find-arms, back, legs. At one point, he even got Marik across the face. Melvin had stopped then, panting heavily as he put the switch away, before waving Marik away.

Marik stumbled from the room, staring at his clothing which had been shreaded slightly during the beating. He whimpered as he limped into his bedroom, before curling up in his corner. Those strange, unnatural tears flowing down his cheeks. It hurt, but it was better then what his father used to do.

Bakura stared at the boy, a frown creasing his usually jovial features.

Was he the cause of this?

No, that was impossible, Bakura decided. Marik obviosly had a bad record to begin with. He didn't go to school, and he was the only one to really get in trouble at home, so it all made sense in Bakura's mind.

So, ignoring the sniveling boy, he turned his mind to how he could next try to get rid of the boy.

-(-o-)-

**Okay . . . Poor Marik . . . I'm friggn' awful to that poor boy. T~T xD**

**But . . . For those of you whipped by a switch, yes, it does hurt really friggn' bad, and yes it can rip clothes. And yes, most of the time, you will be hit in other areas since it is hard to aim with those things . . .**

**Or so it seems.**

**Either way. . . This WILL become thiefshipping, but c'mon. It's MARIK and BAKURA. Like crap there'd be love at first sight . . . Hn . . . xD**

**Ah well, seeya!**


	3. Chapter 3: Incest?

**Okay, CocoaDance, as for you question "Why is it in German?" It's because 'Poltergeist' means 'noisy ghost' in German. So the actual words that is derived from is **_**Poltern**_** 'to make noise' and **_**geist**_** which mean 'ghost' or 'spirit'. So, I just used those words and then added in **_**meine**_** 'mine' for the romance **

**-(-o-)-**

Marik woke up, stiff and sore. His family, apparently, had already been gone. He looked at some of the whelps from last night with a wince, before deciding to go clean out all his fresh new cuts. Bakura haunted him all around the house, for once not saying anything as he just observed Marik.

The boy decided to ignore said spirit, and kept going about his day. He finally sat down on the floor, and stared mutely at the pages before him. Now he had to do homework from other days, along with the ten paged essay he'd been writing.

Sighing, he scrunched up some of his blond hair in his fist, tugging at it before setting to work. Bakura floated around him, tugging at the paper, causing Marik's hand to jerk off the page, leaving long pencil marks across it. At some points, the spirit even tugged and pulled at different parts of Marik.

Finally the tanned boy stopped, before setting down his pencil. He stared blankly at Bakura, before standing up and heading towards the cabinets. Bakura watched curiously. The family hade gotten in all their dishes the other day, while Marik had been in his room. In fact, most of their stuff was now inside the house. It was then that Bakura noticed Marik didn't really have any stuff like Ishizu and Melvin. Strange.

Marik reached a hand into the cabinet, before lifting out an overly large butcher knife and pressing it to his wrist. Bakura started in alarm.

"Wh-What the hell're you doing?" The spirit demanded, painfully reminded of another little boy who cut himself.

"Isn't this what you want?" Marik answered, eyes blank, pulling the teeth of the knife across his caramel skin. It ripped at the flesh, showing fresh ruby blood that pooled up arouned the shallow cut. "You like seeing me in pain, right? Isn't this just _fucking awesome _for you?" Marik's eyes had slanted in anger, and he was huffing as he dragged the knife across again.

"Quit it!" Bakura commanded, knocking the knife from Marik's hand. The blond hissed, but said nothing. He just watched the blood, before lifting it to his mouth and licking it off. Bakura frowned, and watched. "I don't want you to kill yourself . . ." The spirit snarled. "I just want you out of my house!"

"Well get the fuck over it!" Marik snarled. "You're dead! This isn't your house!" Bakura snarled, hooking his fingers into claws.

"I was here before you, stupid brat!" The spirit snarled. "And I'll be here long after!"

"Just because you get rid of my family," Marik retorted, seethingly, "doesn't mean you'll have this house to yourself. So why don't you just take my family, and shut the fuck up?" They glared at each other for a moment, before Bakura sighed.

"Could you at least not stay in my room?" The spirit finally questioned, averting his gaze.

"That's what's bugging you?" Marik crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow. "Honestly? But I can't just switch room. I can't sleep in Ishizu's room, it's illegal. And sharing a room with Melvin. . ." The boy shuddered, before fixing Bakura with a purple gaze. "Look, you've already kicked me off the bed, and I'm staying in a corner! Can't you cut me some slack?"

Bakura stopped, frowning, as he floated in midair, his legs crossed as he watched the boy. Perhaps he hadn't been fair. Then he saw blood dripping onto the tiles. "How deep did you cut?" The ghost asked, before turning upside down and swirling around the arm, taking on his misty form. Marik lurched his arm away, before lapping at the blood again. Bakura watched his pink tongue drag across the flesh, staring at the remaining saliva. "Won't it get infected?"

Marik ignored him, before sitting down, and working on his homework again.

"How do you have homework if you don't go to school?" Bakura scowled. He really honest to God hated being ignored!

"Under certain circumstances, I am allowed to continue my school education from home." Marik answered, scribbling away at the paper.

"Why don't you go to school?"  
>"I don't play well with others."<p>

Bakura smirked, seeing a perfect opportunity. He looped his arms around Marik, causing the Egyptian boy to shiver beneath him. "Perhaps I can change all of that," he whispered huskily into Marik's ear.

Marik scowled, slapping a hand through the vapor that was Bakura. "Fuck off. I'm trying to focus."

"Oh?" Bakura grinned, settling down on the table before Marik. "Do I _distract_ you?" The albino sniggered at Marik's furious expression. The blond went back to work though, and Bakura pouted. However, he eventually moved forward, placing his lower body over top the book. Marik blushed when he realized where his hand was, and quickly removed it, glaring at the spirit.

"Move!"

"Just put your hand there. It's not like I can feel anything, after all." Bakura chuckled, and Marik just glared furiously at the spirit. Marik hopped up from his seat and glared down at the spirt, who just smirked and twisted Marik's nipple.(**AN: Not in the sexual way, perverts. . . .3**)

"Ow! What the hell!" Marik jumped back, clamping a hand to the abused body part. Bakura was rolling around on the table, holding his stomach as he let out large bellows of laughter.

"Holy fuck! That was awesome!"

Marik scowled, before retrieving his homework, and heading upstairs. He flopped down into his corner, before setting to work again. Bakura decided to let the boy be. He had a bigger prank in mind, anyways . . .

-(-o-)-

Melvin stomped into the door, before slinging his backpack into the living room. He marched up stairs. "HEY FAGGOT!" He bellowed, making his way to his brother's bedroom. Something white appeared before him though, and then a sudden feeling of cold overtook his body. The lights dimmed, and he fell to the ground . . .

-(-o-)-

Marik sat up when he saw Melvin enter his room. "Yes, brother?" Marik asked, looking up momentarily from his book. Melvin just walked towards him, and Marik noticed it was kind of odd. His footsteps were heavier, and his legs didn't seem to bend right, and he kept making a slightly jerking motion.

Finally, though, Melvin knelt next to Marik, before lowering his face down close to Marik's. Marik frowned.

"Melvin, are you okay?" He bravely put a tanned hand to his brother's forehead, and his hand was immediatly grabbed and pulled down to Melvin's cheek, where his brother kissed Marik's hand softly. The younger brother yelped.

"I am now that I'm with you, little one. . ." The voice was deeper and raspier, but it was Melvin's. And then his brother's face moved forward, and Marik felt himself backing up, his back getting pressed against the bed as Melvin's hands went to Marik's sides, pinning the poor, confused boy there.

"Melvin, q-quit!" Marik squeaked pathetically as Melvin's lips moved to his ear.

"Dumbass . . ." It was Bakura's voice. And all at once the spirit was out of Melvin's body, floating above, waiting for the scene about to unfurl. Melvin slumped over, but gained conciousness immediatly, and realized he had his little brother pinned down.

Melvin blinked a few times, before staring at Marik. "Did you . . . Drug me?" A grin split aross Melvin's face, and Marik felt slightly sickened that his brother would be into such things. "You should've just told me, though." Melvin sniggered. "Compared to some stuff I've done, incest isn't really anything." He tweaked Marik's nose, before leaning in to kiss Marik.

"Oh my Ra!" Marik screeched, shoving Melvin away, before diving under the covers. Bakura was highly dissapointed that Melvin hadn't had a negative reaction. In fact, he was quite angry that Melvin was going to kiss Marik.

Melvin rolled his eyes, before standing up. "Hey, you made the first move. But, if you're ever ready for it, I'm right down the hall." The elder brother winked, before walking out of the room, cackling happily.

Marik popped up from the covers, before hissing every insult he knew at the spirit. Bakura sat through it all, before curling his lip once Marik seemed to run out of ideas. "If you're done now . . ."

"That was an awful trick!" Marik snarled, clenching his fists in the blanket, glaring up at Bakura.

"How was I supposed to know your brother was a freak?" Bakura defended, glaring as he settled down on the blankets next to Marik. "Geez . . . Are you gonna be scared to bend over now?" Bakura grinned slyly, as Marik's face flushed agian.

"What the hell, spirit?"

"Bakura."

"Whatever!" The tanned boy was practically boiling with rage. "And how dare you! What if you'd slipped, or mom or Ishizu had walked in?" Marik moaned before burying his face in his hands. Bakura looked at the cut from earlier. It was just now starting to crust over. The ghost let out a long sigh, before tapping Marik on the shoulder.

"I'm . . . Sorry," he spat the final word as if it were acid. Marik was, yet again, reminding Bakura of another little boy. Marik quirked an eyebrow, before stuyding the spirit.

"I don't trust you. . . ."

Bakura snorted. "Then fuck you. I was even going to let you sleep on the bed."

"Really?" Marik perked up. The floor had been hurting his back. He'd even had a few splinters in his old scars. He winced at that memory, but quickly looked to the nice, soft, plush bed. . . .

"Of course." Bakura grinned. "You should get some sleep, ya know?" Marik nodded slowly, before bundling up his covers, and throwing them on the bed. He flopped down happily, a contented smile on his face.

That is, until, he rolled onto his side and saw Bakura there, grinning at him.

"What the hell! You said you'd give me the bed?" Marik jumped up, leaning on his hip and propping himself up with an arm as he glared angrily at the ghost occupying his bed. Said ghost merely yawned, before stretching and fling an arm over Marik. A glare met the offending limb.

"I will. But I'm not giving up my bed. However, unless you want different body parts of mine to slowly accumulate, then you will shuttup. I'll stay on my side, you stay on yours." Marik scowled, but agreed. Bakura retracted his arm, before Marik turned his back on the ghost, rolling over in the hopes of going to sleep.

Red eyes glinted mischieviosly as, in the course of the night, Marik got up and removed his shirt and put on his pajamas. These ones had Winged Dragon of Ra on it them(Bakura recognized it from Duel Monsters, a game he played when he was alive). Bakura sniggered at them, but Marik gave him an exapserated look before laying down again.

All through the night, the spirit kept staring at the carvings in the boy's back. He didn't know who did them, but they were three strong cards from Duel Monsters. Whoever it was must've been a fanatic.

Lifting a hand, he made himself vapor before he slowly traced the back. Sometimes, the muscles would twitch and undulate beneath his misted fingers, and Marik would make little snorts of protest in his sleep. Though, for the majority of the time, the teen lay still. Bakura finally lost his amusement, though, as Marik rolled onto his back.

So Bakura was left staring at Marik's face all through the night, until the boy awoke and swatted at him furiously until the spirit relented and left, so Marik could get dressed.

-(-o-)-

**Sh-bam!**

**Oh, yes. . . . The illegal thing with Ishizu. I dunno how it is where you people live, but where I live, you can get in trouble for having a boy and a girl share a room, even siblings. They must have seperate rooms once they reach a certain age.**

**Poor Marik . . . That poor boy . . .xD And Bakura's still an ss. . . **

**Everything with Marik will be explained, eventually.**

**So, please review! I'm actually very happy that I got quite a good number of reviews on this story. Thanks guys! =D**

**Seeya!**


	4. Chapter 4: Partners In Crime

A few weeks passed and Marik finally caught up on his homework, easily avoiding Melvin, who kept making sly gestures at him everytime he happened to be in the same room as his brother. Bakura haunted him relentlessly as well. He'd toned it down, and just took to scaring Marik when he walked around corners.

One haunting was quite vivid though. Ishizu had found a cat outside, and named him Sphynx. He was a sleek, orange tom with a wonderful personality. However, on his second week with the family, he had ingested a rather large amount of chocolate. While his dead body lay there, everyone saw it being lifted up and floated away.

Ishizu and Marik watched the cat go with a sense of foreboding, while Melvin cracked jokes and their mother went into hysterics. And, sure enough, about a week or so later when the body was dead and decomposing, Bakura chose to possess it, and took to marching it down the hall. Ishizu burst into tears everytime she saw it, and their mother ended up running to the bathroom and retching.

Melvin chased it around the house with a stick.

Marik watched this all with an indifferent air. He didn't like seeing the cat used that way, but he knew that the only reason Bakura did it was for attention. The blonde was also aware that Bakura would eventually grow bored if he was ignored.

And, of course, just as Marik predicted, the act grew stale after a few days.

"Why do you have to ignore me?" Bakura snarled. Sphynx's body had finally had a proper burial, and Bakura was especially peeved.

"Because you're being stupid and immature," Marik replied, a piece of Yan-Yan hanging from his mouth. It swung around in between his lips with every word, and he focused on his paper, scratching out the answers.

"Am not," Bakura growled, crossings his arms and floating around Marik. The boy completely ignored him, and Bakura slowly grew more and more agitated.

"Yes, you are. Now shuttup," Marik replied calmly, casting a glare at the spirit.

"Well, excuse me," a voice chuckled from the doorway, and Mark swiveled his chair around to see a smirking Melvin.

"O-Oh . . . Brother . . . Hello." Marik muttered, shooting an irritated look at Bakura, who smirked, sticking out his tongue.

"Talking to your imaginary boyfriend again?' Melvin asked, leaning aganist the doorframe as he grinned. Marik spluttered for a moment, before Melvin held up his hands. "Ishizu told me all about that Bakura kid." Melvin moved forward, watching Marik with a strange look that the younger brother decided he didn't like. Bakura didn't much care for it either.

"So you know about Bakura, then?" Marik said slowly, and Melvin gave a derisive snort.

"I already said that, little brother."

"Yes . . . Yes you did . . . Well, I have to go back to work then. Bakura's been bugging me all week, so . . ." Marik turned his back on his brother, who reached his arms around Marik's shoulder and put his hands atop Marik's. The younger of the two swallowed hard, before blinking a few times. "Melvin . . .?" He said in a higher pitched voice then he'd wanted too. Melvin chuckled deep and low, lowering his mouth to Marik's neck.

"Yes, little brother?"

"What're you doing?" Marik let out a yelp as Melvin nipped his skin. Oh _hell no!_ This could _not_ be happening! Marik struggled lightly, but Melvin was much stronger. He laughed at Marik's failing attempts. That is, until he was hit in the head with a rather large math book.

Melvin let out a strangled cry as he was knocked sideways. He gripped the side of his spiky hair, just to see an albino boy floating before him, face twisted in fury. The albino flew at him, but Marik cried out and leapt up with the only thing he could think of-A Bible.

Bakura screeched, his back arching as he writhed beneath the book. Marik quickly jerked the book back, staring at Bakura as the boy spazzed on the floor. Melvin stared, dumbstuck, before jumping up and lurching forwards for the Bible, no doubt hoping to get rid of Bakura for good.

However, Marik didn't know what would happen if Bakura was gotten rid of that way. And despite the anger between the two, Bakura had sort of grown on him. So, making a split second decision, Marik reared his foot back before launching it hard to between Melvin's legs. His brother yelled, before collapsing in a large pile on Marik's floor.

The tanned boy threw the book, still clutched in his hands, over to the corner of the room as he sank to his knees, staring at a recovering Bakura. The spirit was panting as he slowly hoisted himself up, sparing Melvin a slightly sympathetic glance.

Marik was staring at the spirit, quite unsure of what to do. He wanted to yell at him, thank him, and yet burst out with an apology, all at once. He didn't really know what to do, so he just muttered, "Thanks you stupid fucking idiot, and sorry . . . ."

Bakura grinned, though he was still breathing heavily.

"Why did you. . . .?" Marik motioned at Melvin, as Bakura slowly hoisted himself up.

"Because . . . ." Bakura scowled. "I had a little brother once, and the fact that someone would do something sick like that . . ." His lip curled up, before he floated into the air, shooting over to Marik's desk. He picked up a marker, before floating over to Melvin's unconcious body. He flipped it over, and brandished the writing utensil.

"What're you doing?" Marik grinned, crawling over to Bakura.

"Oh, just having a spot of fun." Bakura cackled, lowering the tip to Melvin's face. He wrote out plenty of offending messages and pictures, before he let Marik have a go. Everytime Melvin would seem like he was coming around, Bakura would deftly knock him out agani, much to the two younger boy's amusement. After they had finished, Bakura took over Melvin's body.

Together, the boys snuck outside and grabbed some beercans from the trashcan. Bakura, still possesing Melvin's body, made the older boy walk in and flop down on the couch, a beer in hand as he lay there, supposedly drunk out of his mind. Bakura then released him, and Marik made a loud slam from the door, before he and Bakura darted up the stairs, laying awake in the bed as they heard Melvin get the telling of his life.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Bakura sniggered, floating a little as Marik lay on the bed, holding his stomach and hand so that his laughter wouldn't be heard. He grinned back though, nodding his head savagely.

But, all good things must come to an end, and after about an hour of yelling, they heard Melvin stomping up the stairs. His mother probably assumed he would go straight to his own bed, but Marik could tell by the footsteps that that wasn't his destiantion. Bakura made himself visible as Melvin slammed their door open.

He stood there, snarling, as his hand turned into a fist and he took a step threatningly towards Marik. Bakura was there, though, hovering over the blonde, as he shot a look at Melvin. The elder brother quickly rethought his plan of action, and just stood there for a moment, his fists clenched and shaking as he tried to collect his temper.

"Don't think you'll get away with this, little brother. . ." Melvin hissed, baring his fangs at Marik. Marik showed him a finger that gave Melvin a pretty vivid picture of how his brother felt of him. Melvin merely smirked, before lifting his gaze to Bakura. "He's the one that got you switched, isn't he? You're little partnership may have worked tonight, but just wait until next time he gets you in trouble. I won't stop next time. . ." Melvin then whirled on his heel, leaving a dismayed Marik sitting there.

He turned his purple gaze to Bakura, who kept his gaze on the covers.

"Are you . . . Going to get me in trouble again?" Marik questioned, raising himself into the sitting position.

"Well . . ." Bakura said slowly, lifting his gaze. "I did say I'd hate you . . . And I still want you out of my house . . ." Marik scowled at the ghost, who did his best to look indifferent. Lavender eyes rolled, though, and he turned his back on Bakura. "Marik . . ." Bakura said, but he was ignored. "Dammit Marik!"

"Fuck. You." Was his reply, and he scowled at the boy's back for the rest of the night, trying in vain to get him to turn around, or at least aknowledge him. However, even on the next day, when Marik was awake and moving, he still completely ignored Bakura. Even when he made the toilet spew water out at him, or when he made his fruity pebbles get up and dance around on top of the milk singing "I've Got the Power".

Bakura, needless to say, was incredibly agitated.

The weekends came, though, and Melvin and Ishizu stayed up later, so it was harder to talk to Marik, since they would be incredibly nosy if they heard Marik make any sound. And Bakura wanted Marik all to himself. It annoyed him that he still had homework and such over the weekends, while his siblings were scott free.

So a week had gone by, and yet Marik was still ignoring him.

Bakura finally had enough. He couldn't do anything big anymore, since that meant Marik getting switched, and being locked up alone in a room with Melvin. However, there was one thing he could do. Bakura followed Ishizu, watching how she walked, how she talked, and her facial expressions, before, one day, he jumped inside of her.

Possesing Ishizu's body, he began to walk around, getting used the feeling of having to use his legs. He stared down, and realized he had boobs. That was slightly awkward, as he kept feeling the need to poke them, but that would have been hard to explain, since Ishizu quite obviously didn't go around groping herself all the time.

Finally getting the gist of it though, he made his way upstairs, before knocking on Marik's room. He knew that the boy had a good relaitionship with his sister, and he was going to use that here and now.

"Hello, brother," he said softly, in Ishizu's voice. Marik smiled (_he never smiles around me like that,_ Bakura thought angrily, _but then again I'm making his life a living hell . . ._) before opening the door.

"Is there anything you want, sister?" Marik asked, and Ishizu's head nodded. Marik let her in, and her body made its way over to Marik's bed, where she sat. Bakura also noticed he wasn't used to having an ass. . . He resisted the urge to grab it.

"Well, you see, brother," Ishizu's lips said. Bakura found it highly annoying that all these siblings adressed each other as such. Wasn't it awkward always saying 'brother' and 'sister' instead of names? "I was wondering if Bakura has been annoying you lately. . .? We seem to be hearing less of him . . ." This plan was fool proof!

"Actually, no." Marik frowned, plopping down in his swivel chair. He turned a few circles, before stopping to look into Ishizu's eyes. "You see, sister," Bakura felt Ishizu's eye almost twitch, but he quickly stopped himself. "Bakura's only been doing little stuff. . . . Actually, about a week ago, he made my cereal dance and sing." Marik laughed. "It was funny as hell. Though, I don't know why he's doing it . . ." He bit his lip. "Making me laugh isn't really making my life miserable . . ."

"He wants to make you miserable?" Ishizu's mouth questioned, her face scrunching up in an innocent, confused way. Marik nodded slowly, before fiddling with the edge of his midriff. Bakura stared at the hands, trying to not look to intent.

"That's what he said . . . Though, maybe he's just trying to get attention . . ." Marik shrugged. "He doesn't like being ignored."

"Why're you ignoring him?" Bakura made Ishizu say it slowly and softly, not at all in the way Bakura wanted to scream it.

"Because. . . I thought we were kinda gonna be friends. . ." Marik fiddled with the chains on his midriff, frowning. "And, you know how hard that is for me . . ." Marik gave an odd, cold laugh. "Leave it to the freak of the family to befriend a ghost . . . But either way . . . That whole thing was Melvin was because of me and Bakura." Marik gave a soft smile as he looked away into nothing, as if remembering something.

Ishizu's lips frowned, and her brow puckered. "Who says you can't be friends?" Bakura figured it wouldn't be smart to ask about the being a freak, and why it was hard for him to make friends. Marik was pretty smart when it came to certain things, and he was sure that Ishizu should already have knowledge of this.

Marik snorted, crossing his legs, and flipping his hair from his eyes. Bakura had to resist every urge in him that was screaming to mock the boy. "Bakura pretty much. No matter that we had a small moment of friendship, he still wants to make me miserable, and get us out of this house." Marik clenched his fists. "That stupid, over grown child. . . ." Marik sighed. "I better quit. If he's anywhere around here, and he hears me, he'll probably have a temper tantrum."

Bakura felt Ishizu's face scowl, and he saw Marik look puzzled. Softening the corners of the frown, and making his eyes grow a softer, more sisterly like look, he made Ishizu's head nod. Bakura was done now, anyways, and this body was annoying him. He still had the urge to feel everywhere, and now the bra was poking him, and the panties that Ishizu wore weren't exactly the most comfortable things either.

Standing up slowly, he saw Marik jerk forward slightly, and grip Ishizu's hand.

"Wait . . . Sister . . ." Marik bit his lip. "Have you. . . Um . . . Have you heard anything from dad . . .?" Marik's eyes looked hurt, and Bakura decided that he should give a look of sympathy. Using Ishizu's other hand, he laid it on Marik's bare shoulder.

"I . . . no, little brother, I haven't." Marik nodded slowly, before leaning forward and hugging Ishizu's body. Bakura froze, not exactly sure what to do. But, he decided, he would just pretend that Marik was Ryou, Bakura's dead brother. He wrapped Ishizu's arms around Marik's body, holding the boy close, and muttering comforting words.

After a minute, though, Marik pulled back, before giving Ishizu a brave smile.

"We better quit. . . If Bakura sees us, he'd never let me live it down." Marik laughed, before telling Ishizu good-bye, and returning to his desk. Bakura watched him, before turning away. Marik was wrong, though. If Bakura dared to say anything, the whole plan could come unraveled, and he really didn't want to deal with that. So, marching Ishizu downstairs, he walked her into her room.

It wasn't at all how you would expect a teenage girl's room to be like, but then again, the only one of the siblings who did have anything close to an average teenager's room was Melvin. And that was really only because of the magazines. Everything else seemed to resemble some type of torture device.

Shuddering at the memory, Bakura walked Ishizu across her plain room to her bed. He let her slide into her completely bare bed, before releasing her. He floated above her for a moment, before slithering out the door, not waiting for her to come around.

Ishizu frowned, sitting up. She'd had a strange dream but . . . No, that couldn't be true. Shaking her head, she lay down again, before falling asleep.

-(-o-)-

**By the way, let me just say this. . . Melvin does NOT have real feelings for Marik. However, he is a complete butthole, and loves to screw with his brother's head.**

**And yay, more hints at the Thiefshipping that is supposed to happen . . . Gah . . .**

**So, please review and all that jazz. Oh, yeah, unneccesary as it is, I better put this:**

** I don't own any characters in this fanfic. These characters belong to Yu-Gi-Oh!. . . But honestly, if I owned Yu-Gi-Oh! then I wouldn't be making fanfictions, there'd be Thiefshipping and Puzzleshipping all over the **

**So, seeya!**


	5. Chapter 5: Take Me With You

**Gah, so I just found out from Todesanbeterin, that my grammar was wrong in the title(Thanks for telling me, btw. : ) I'm going to fix it now.) However, it is quite funny that Meine means female. . . Considering we're dealing with the two biggest shemales in the whole anime . . . I am amused. . . .**

**-(-o-)-**

Marik woke up to an empty bed. He pushed some of his hair off of his forehead, before standing up and stretching. He supposed it was a good thing, though, that the spirit was no where to be seen. Then again, that could be a bad thing.

A very bad thing.

Sighing, the blonde stood up, pulling his pajama bottoms up from where they'd slipped down his waist. He pulled at the drawstrings, tightening them, before making his way down the hallway, and down the stairs. Melvin and Ishizu were at school, and his mother at work, and for once he didn't have homework.

He still hadn't talked to Bakura yet, and he supposed he should talk to the spirit again, since Bakura was growing grumpier and grumpier each day. However, when he reached the kitchen, there was still no sign of the spirit. Raising his eyebrows, he walked over to the cupboard, before pulling himself down some bread. Popping it into the toaster, he meandered into the living room, aiming for the remote.

When he reached out his hand, though, it was jerked upwards and out of his grasp.

"Hello, Bakura," Marik grinned, putting his hands on his hips. Bakura materialized before him.

"Oh, so now you're speaking to me?" Bakura sneered, turning to where he was upside down. "And is that a smile I see on your face?" Marik rolled his eyes, before hearing his toast pop up. Turning his back on the spirit, he went to get his toast. After putting butter on it, he flopped down at his table, before turning a curious gaze on Bakura.

"Can you eat?"

"I'm a dead body that is made entirely of misty stuff," Bakura dead-panned, staring at the boy before him. "The hell do you think?"

"Well, jeez. Forgive me fo asking a question!" He scowled, glaring at Bakura. Bakura just snorted and floated around the kitchen. The rest of the day was spent lounging in front of the TV, with Bakura messing up the picture every now and then. Somehow, he figured out how to jump inside the TV and control the pictures. He could even make himself appear during a show. Now, while the characters didn't react to him, he would walk around them and give them his input on things, making Marik laugh. Bakura quickly jumped out of the television set though as he heard Ishizu and Melvin return home.

The two were grumbling about homework as they set off upstairs. Marik smirked.

"No homework, I take it?" Bakura questioned, knowing good and well why that expresion was there.

"Nope. Either there really wasn't any, or my mother forgot to pick it up." Marik shrugged.

"Pick it. . . . Up?" Bakura asked, nestling down on the couch next to Marik. He could see the blonde tense up and bite his tanned lip, but his shoulders relaxed slightly as he decided that he could tell Bakura that much.

"Well, my mother gets my homework from a real teacher, but I don't go to school. I just read up on the notes the teacher gives me, and do a little extra studying, and get my homework done." Marik shrugged. "It's a big hassle, but . . ." His voice trailed off. Bakura thought of pressing for more information, but he stopped when he realized that he would probably just make Marik close up more.

Soon, his mother came home though, and she was holding a bag in her hand. She walked slowly up to Marik (who quickly had to disguise his laughter at Bakura making faces as a cough), before make a little _ahem!_ noise. Marik looked up to his mother's face, and saw that she was extremely worried about something.

"Yes, mother?" Marik asked, tilting his head.

"Well, honey. . ." His mother began. Marik didn't like her voice. It made him think she was about to tell him something he _really_ didn't want to hear. "You see, I know you're not going to be happy about this. . ." Fuck. "But . . . Well . . ." She handed Marik the bag, and he took it slowly.

Opening up and peering in, Bakura watched as Marik took on a face of the utmost ferocity. He lurched to his feet, the bag falling to the ground as he glared at his mother.

"_Hell . . . .NO!_" Marik hissed, pointing to the bag. Bakura frowned, and floated down into the bag. On the inside, he saw a uniform, text books, and a class schedule. Putting two and two together, he watched the events about to take place.

"Don't speak to me like that!" His mother yelled, chewing her lip harder and wringing her hands. "I don't like it anymore then you do, but I don't like you in this creepy old house alone! After everything with Sphynx. . . . And Ishizu had a wierd dream, and now Melvin's saying he's seeing ghosts and . . ." His mother let out a sigh. "And sweetie . . . It happened _six years ago._ It's time to move on with your life. . ." Marik reeled back at those words, as he glared at his mother.

"Get on with my life?" Marik snarled, glaring up at his mother's soft eyes. He could see she had good intentions, but that last line had pushed him over the line of rational thoughts. "How dare you!" Bakura watched, confused.

"Yes, I said it!" His mother answered back, clenching her fists at her sides, eyes closed as she tried not to look into the blazing, defiant eyes of her son. "He's gone, Marik. Nothing is ever going to change that."

"You don't need to remind me," Marik said, his voice loosing all its anger as it turned into a flat sounding voice. "I know that he's gone . . . Just like I know why he's gone . . ."

"Marik, that wasn't your-"

"If it wasn't my fault then why did I see you and Ishizu glaring at me all the time! I could see you two blaming me! Melvin as well! I'm not an idiot!" Marik was yelling again, and by this time, Ishizu and Melvin had come down the stairs to investigate the noies.

"We didn't blame you! That he was doing things to you was . . . We just didn't know! We're happy you told us, really!" His mother reached out her arms for him, aiming to give him a hug, but Marik jerked back, hissing slightly.

"You wish I'd kept my mouth shut . . . I can tell. . . You wish I'd never said anything because it's okay as long as it happened to me and not you. . . ." His mother's face was shocked, as she took a step back. "That's right, I know he used to hit you." Marik gave a bitter smile. Bakura just merely floated. He was quite bored, since no one was bothering to give details. What was with this family and hopping around problems. A yawn made his mouth open wide, and he floated around Ishizu and Melvin, seeing their faces contorted with anger at their impudent little brother.

"Enough of this . . ." Their mother said softly. "I don't have to listen to this from you. You will go to school." She then turned on her heel, and stormed out of the room, marching to her bedroom. Marik stared after her, before his eyes opened wide in fear as he saw Melvin advance.

"Y'know what, you little shit. I wish you _had_ kept your mouth shut. Then dad'd still be here, and maybe you'd be dead." Melvin grinned cruely, before grabbing Marik by the back of the hair and slamming his head down onto the table. Marik cried out as he felt his nose break, and blood splurted from the wound. Ishizu voiced a sound of complaint, before making her way over to Marik.

"Brother. . . ." She reached out slowly, but Marik knocked her hand away. Melvin was gone by then, storming up the stairs. Bakura frowned, and made one of the steps disappear so he slammed face down on the next step, cracking his jaw painfully and biting his tongue, causing coppery blood to fill his mouth.

"Tell your boyfriend to live me alone, you little cunt!" Melvin snarled around the blood dripping from him. Marik groaned and sat up, seeing Bakura floating down the steps. He had an irritated look as he glided over to Ishizu and Marik.

"Spirit . . ." Ishizu said, looking unhappily at Bakura. The ghost ignored her though, and knelt down next to Marik. He put his hand over Marik's nose, making himself solid. While Marik couldn't feel the hand, an instant coolness spread over the hot, pulsing area, and gave Marik time to stem the blood without wincing uncontrolably.

So, heading up the stairs with tissue paper shoved up his nose, Marik flopped down onto his bed and stared hatefully at the bag of school stuff that Ishizu had brought into his room. He couldn't skip school, and he knew it. It'd only land him in more trouble. Plus, Marik figured he could always just hide in the corner, not talking to anyone. He was already a few years ahead in his education anyways, so classes would be easy. Groaning and rolling over onto his side, he came face to face with Bakura.

"Yo, babe," Bakura smirked, and Marik scowled. "So, mind telling me what you guys were talking about down there?" Marik snarled and turned away, not even deeming that question with an answer. "Fine then. . . . Be that way . . ."

Marik still ignored him.

"Hey! Are you really gonna leave me sittn' here all alone!" Bakura growled. "You're gona be at school for _eight hours_! I'm going to be bored to life!" Marik rolled over, and raised an eyebrow at the cliched line. "Fuck you . . ." Bakura growled. "Don't judge me."

"Whatever," Marik chuckled, putting his hands behind his head. "And you've been alone for two years. I doubt eight hours will. . . Live . . . You?" Marik's voice trailed off as his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Don't think to hard, there," Bakura sniggered.

"Ass. . . ." Marik glared. "Anyways, can you even leave this house?"

"Yeah . . . Although, only if I'm possesing somebody's body, or if I'm connected to an item or person that I can haunt for all eternity." Bakura shrugged.

"Well, unless you're going to possess Melvin, I don't see that happening." Marik shrugged.

"Who says?"

"Well, I know you. And you don't want to leave this house, apparently," Bakura just smirked as Marik tossed him a look.

"I could posses Melvin . . ." Bakura mused, grinning slightly.

"No." Marik said plainly, glaring at Bakura. "The last thing I need is my brother becoming known as the biggest freak in the world. And knowing you, you'd pull some perverted joke and then we'd be known forever as being into brocest. . . ." Marik frowned, and Bakura laughed.

"Well, I could connect to an object. . . ." Bakura said, lifting off the bed and floating around.

"Oh yeah? And what if my family moves and you get stuck in some strange place, never to see this house again?" Marik asked, sitting up and feeling the bed creak beneath him. Bakura froze, frowning, before looking around.

"What if we used an object that this house will never loose?" Bakura asked, zooming around the room.

"Like . . . A nail, or something, that we could slip back in the wall?" Marik swung his feet over the bed, peering into the gloom. Bakura made himself glow, and Marik's eyebrows went up, eyes opening a little wider. "You glow?"

"Yeah . . . Ectoplasm, or some shit like that." Bakura shrugged. "And I have a better idea . . ." Bakura grinned. "Wait here." Bakura dissappeared through the floor. After a few moments, Marik heard a knock on his door. Crossing to it, he opened it to see Ishizu in a light blue, tank top night gown. Marik blinked for a moment, not used to seeing Ishizu in such revealing clothes, before she frowned at Marik, and tugged at her now naked hair.

"I heard voices . . ." She whispered softly, casting a nervous look down the hall. Marik took the hint, and stepped back, letting his sister in. She made her way across the floor before sitting on the bed, rubbing her hands over her arms, trying to bring warmth into them. Marik offered her the blanket, and she took it gratefully. "I'm sorry. . . About . . . About earlier . . . And we don't blame you!" Ishizu's voice rose a pitch, before she clapped a hand to her mouth.

"I . . . I know Ishizu. . ." Marik sighed, flopping down on the bed next to her. He rested his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his hands. "It's just . . . To go back around so many people . . ."

"I know . . ." Ishizu said softly, putting her hand on Marik's shoulder. "It was a hard transition for all of us. . . And . . . You, most of all but . . . Marik, I think mother's right. . ." Marik looked at her, anger and shock showing through.

"What? How could you-"

"Hush." Ishizu said calmly, holding up a finger and studying Marik with a gaze that bore into his head. He clenched his lids closed and turned away from her. "Maybe you can make some friends . . . Some friends that _aren't _dead and that get you switched. . ." Marik grimaced, but he couldn't really argue with that logic.

"Well, jeez, nice to see you stick up for me. . ." Bakura growled, opening the door as he floated in with something glinting in his hands.

"What is . . ." Ishizu gasped. "What is that?" Bakura turned his gaze to her, and saw that even Marik's expression was shocked.

"It's a Millinium Ring . . ." Bakura explained. "What about it? It's just some old thing that got buried in my house's foundation a long time ago. My brother and I used to take turns wearing it, pretending that it had magical powers . . ." Bakura frowned down at the golden item, but he saw Ishizu's eyes darting to Marik's back.

"You don't think it's geniune, do you?" She whispered softly. Marik studied the ring, before shaking his head.

"No. They would've been burnt from the inside out. Either that, or it'd be glowing and pointing right now." Marik nodded his head to his dresser, and Bakura lurched forward. Neither sibling made a move to stop the spirit, and he quickly opened the drawer and saw a long, golden rod with a circle ontop, with the same eye pattern that was on his Millinium Ring. Two wing like pieces jutted out from the sides.

"That's the Millinium Rod," Ishizu explained. Bakura turned around to face her. "They are said to have magical powers, though we've never seen them show any, other then the fact that the Millinium Ring reacts around other items. They're artifacts from Ancient Egypt, and our father . . ." Ishizu bit her lip. "Our father once possesed all of them. We saved two, but our father sold the others."

"Oh . . ." Bakura stared at the rod, before floating over to Marik. He laid the ring in the boy's lap, before placing his hands over top of it. Marik watched, as did Ishizu, both confused. Bakura smirked, before he began to imagine his body flowing into the item. It felt good. Like a warmth was erupting all around him. He felt like Ryou was before him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in, bringing them back to their childhood times when all was right in the world.

With a happy sigh, Bakura reliquished himself to that feeling, before he was completely unconcious. Marik watched as his form slowly started to disappear, being sucked into the Ring. Ishizu watched as well, interested, until it was complete.

Marik wrapped a hand around the Ring. Before, it had been cold and dull, but now it was a nice, soft warm, and it was glowing slightly. Marik slipped it on around his neck, fiddling with the pieces for a moment, before giving a shaky smile to Ishizu. She pursed her lips.

"You're going to take him to school, aren't you." It wasn't really a question, but she phrased it as one to be polite.

"Yeah . . ." Marik nodded slowly. "At least . . . At least I won't be completely alone. . ." He gave a sad smile before stroking the gold softly.

"Fine, just keep him in line . . ." Ishizu frowned at the Ring, before standing up and walking from the room.

Marik flopped back on the bed, the Ring heating his chest up as he put a hand over it softly. He could tell from the slow, rhythmic pulsing, that Bakura was asleep. Or, to put it better in a state of unawareness. Marik doubted if the spirit had ever slept since he died, and he thought about that as he slowly drifted into sleep, suddenly not so scared to face the school day that lay ahead of him.

-(-o-)-

**Yeah, so, the items don't have magical powers or anything, cuz I don't feel like working all that And Bakura's is a fake, anyways.**

**Oh my gosh . . . . I watched Yu-Gi-Oh! the Singapore dub. . . . o.O Bakura's . . . I dunno, and Joey's, yech. And Mako Tsunami had a Jamaican accent, and then Yugi/Yami was sounding like Naruto, and Marik/Dark Marik is played by a woman.**

**A very noticably feminine voice . . .**

**So, please review, and tell me what you think!**

**See ya! **


	6. Chapter 6: Antisocial Means Friends

Marik Ishtar awoke early, roused by his sister pounding on his door. Bakura was outside of the ring now, and he quickly let himself out of the room, muttering a hello to Ishizu, before floating downstairs. Marik sent a silent thanks to Bakura, before getting up and changing into his new uniform.

Exiting his room, he made his way into the bathroom, while jerking a comb through his hair, growling at the tangles. He didn't like this uniform; it was a dark blue jacket and pants with a white, button up shirt beneath it. Sighing, he supposed he'd have to put up with it. After all, Melvin looked even stranger in it then Marik did!

Marik headed downstairs then, meeting up with Ishizu who had made them all pancakes. She smiled warmly at him, and Marik noticed that Ishizu's uniform was a pink jacket, with a blue skirt that went down to her heels. Melvin slumped into the kitchen at that time, wearing an identical uniform to Marik's, except Melvin had spiced his up a little by unbottoning the top of his shirt more, and he wore his shirt untucked.

Flopping down in the chair opposite Marik, Melvin cast a glare at his younger brother, eyeing the nose that was (to Marik's great relief and Melvin's chagrin) not broken, but certainly looked a little wrong today. It seemed to have swollen a little bit, but Marik could deal with that. It wasn't really noticable unless someone had seen him before it happened.

Ishizu set down plates before the two boys, before pulling up her own chair. She gave Marik a quick run down of what to expect, briefing him on a few school rules. Melvin just leered at Marik, stabbing his pancakes in a ruthful manner while shoving them into his mouth, and chewing them in a disgusting fashion, syrup dribling down his chin.

Marik made a disgusted face, and ate his food, like Ishizu, in much smaller, more considerate bites.

"Remember to keep an eye on Bakura," Ishizu reminded Marik, finishing her pancakes, and taking Marik's and Melvin's empty plates as well. She ran some hot water, washing them off.

"You're bringing that stupid ghost into school?" Melvin growled, eyes narrowing as he studied his younger sibling.

"Yes, I am. He'd be bored around here all day." Marik gave a smirk, before resting his shoulders against the back of his chair. "And you've seen Bakura when he's bored. Do you really want to leave him unsupervised for eight hours?" Melvin opened his mouth to argue, but quickly dropped it, knowing that there was really nothing he could do.

Bakura drifted from the ceiling then, perching on Marik's shoulder as he crossed his arms over his chest and scowling at Melvin.

"Your voice is to fuckin' loud," Bakura snarled, picking up the salt shaker. Melvin eyed the shaker with apprehension, before standing up slowly, and moving away.

"Scared of ghosts, Melvin?" Marik sniggered, grinning up at Bakura, who returned the expresion.

Melvin whirled around then, clenching his fist and taking a step towards Marik, who shrunk back and gripped the edge of his chair. His knuckles went white, as he clamped his eyes shut.

It was all for nothing, though, seeing as Bakura had unscrewed the top of the salt shaker, and had thrown salt all over Melvin. The elder brother let out a snarl of annoyance, before shaking his spiked hair out. He seemed to give up at that time though, seeing as he turned his back on the two boys behind him, and made his way into the living room to get his backpack.

"Thanks . . ." Marik murmurred. Bakura just shrugged, before hopping into Marik's lap. Marik let out a yelp, but Bakura just cackled, tapping the Ring, and he disappeared in a puff of vapor.

"Quite some friend you have there, then," Ishizu said, trying to sound disaproving, but being denied this by the small smile tugging at her lips. Marik just grunted, and hoisted himself up from the chair.

"Lets get going, fucktarts!" They heard Melvin roar from the living room, and both brother and sister made there way over, scooping up book bags and heading outside to wait for the bus.

During their wait, Melvin found a turtle, and began seeing if he could drag it out of its shell by the neck. He was sorely dissapointed though, as the turtle remained firmly in the shell. However, Marik did notice that its neck was hanging at an awkward angle, and the only reason Melvin wasn't able to yank it out was because he was to impatient to bother pushing the legs into the holes so they didn't block the turtle's escape.

"Put that poor thing down," Ishizu commanded, just as the bus rolled up. Melvin scowled, and tossed aside the dead animal, before shoving his hands in his pockets and boarding the bus. Ishizu sat down next to a girl with short brown hair, and Melvin shot immediatly to the back, claiming a seat all on his own as he propped his feet up on the leather. Sighing at his misfortune, Marik made his way to the back, managing to grab a seat behind a boy with star shaped hair, and a tall blonde.

Marik sat in stony silence, scared at all the people on the bus. Some kept shooting him looks, wondering who he was. Hearing those whispers made his heart do an odd thumping noise as he bit his lip and fiddled with his backpack strap, doing anything but looking upwards. Anything but looking at those stares.

"Hey, are you new?" A rather loud, obnoxious voice broke through the awkward mumbles, and Marik's head shot up, staring rather nervously at the blonde boy before him. He had hazel eyes, and a smirk on his face as he rested one forearm against the back of his seat, leaning over and peering at Marik from beneath his odd bangs.

Marik gave a stiff nod, feeling his panic kick in even more. The boy the blonde was sitting with was now on his knees, peering over at Marik too, amethyst eyes curious. Marik tried to stop himself from glaring, but it was pretty much second nature. He could feel the Ring pulse hot beneath his shirt, and he nervously fidgeted a hand up to it, gripping at it from beneath the fabric.

Bakura came out then, still invisible to everyone but Marik, swirling himself around a little, and staring around. He'd rode this bus back when he was alive, though a lot of these kids were new, and most of the kids he'd known had already graduated.

"You okay there, kid?" The blonde grinned, tilting his head.

"I am not a 'kid'," Marik sniffed, tightening his grip on the Millinium Ring. "My name is Marik Ishtar, and you shall adress me as thus." Inwardly smacking himself for saying something so stupid, Marik just waited for the boy to hit him or mock him.

But what he heard instead was shocking.

Laughter. Or, more precisley, giggling.

The star-haired boy sitting next to the blonde was laughing away, before giving a sweet smile to Marik. "Well, hello Marik Ishtar. My name is Yugi Moto. This is Joey Wheeler." Yugi then offered his hand, and Marik reluctantly took it, feeling the soft skin press against his own calloused hands. Judging by Yugi's glance downwards, Marik supposed he had felt it too.

"So, Marik Ishtar," Joey said, "are you knew?"

"Quite obviously yes!" Marik snapped, crossing his arms. After all, what kind of dolt couldn't even tell when someone new was on his bus? Marik could feel Bakura laughing from inside the ring, and scowled downwards.

"Well, well," Joey smirked, "feisty little thing, aren't ya?" The boy laughed, before shaking his head. "Okay, well, what school are you transfering from?"

"I didn't go to school before here . . ." Marik answered carefully, eyes becoming shifty as he looked for a way to end or change the conversation. People always asked questions. . . But Joey didn't. He just simply nodded.

"You was one of them home-schooled kids, huh?" Joey grinned, and Marik just stared dumbly at him. "Would sure explain your bad social skills, at least." A scowl shoved its rampant way over Marik's features yet again, as he glared angrily at the taunting boy.

"Joey, play nice," Yugi scolded, fiddling with a chain around his neck. Marik could see him smiling fondly down at it.

"Yeah, yeah. . ." Joey growled in a friendly way. "So, Marik Ishtar, what classes do ya got?" Marik rifled through his backpack and pulled out his schedule, handing it to Joey. "Aw, man! Cool! We gots Biology together." Joey winked, before tossing the schedule to Yugi. "The teacher's a babe." Marik quirked an eyebrow, but decided to say nothing to that comment.

Bakura, who had been silent since his exit from the Ring, suddenly spoke up, making Marik jump a little. "Wonder how good a judge this kid is of women?" The spirit sniggered, before lowering his face to Marik's. "I, personally, like curves. Faces are just a plus." Bakura gave a suggestive wink and grin, before Marik swatted him away, glaring at the disgusting ghost.

Joey looked questioningly at Marik.

"Um. . . . bug." Marik explained, biting his lip. "A very _disgusting_ bug," he couldn't help but at that jibe in as he cast a glare at the spirit, who just merely let his tongue drip from his mouth, crossing his eyes as he glared at the tanned boy. Joey just gave Marik another look, before deciding to pretend like nothing had happened.

Yugi had finished looking over the schedule then, as he smiled and handed it back to Marik. "We've got Algebra and English together," Yugi said, looking quite happy that he had the new kid in his classes.

"Um . . . Co-cool?" Marik asked, tilting his head. Phrases like that weren't really his forte, but he'd heard Melvin spout these phrases non stop, and Ishizu even slipped up and said them sometimes.

"Darn skippy it is," Joey laughed, flopping down in his seat. "Aw, man, I'll tell you who to go for, and who not to! Like Tea Gardner," Joey dropped his voice to a whisper. "She's in all of Yugi's classes, so you'll have her English and Algebra too, but watch out. She's smokin', but she's annoying as heck. She'll lecture your ear off!" Joey let out a loud guffaw, as Yugi protested weakly in Tea's defense. Marik just sat there.

"Oh, sounds like you got some lookers in your classes," Bakura smirked, turning into his full bodied form, before perching on Marik's shoulder. Marik tried his best to ignore him. After all, wasn't it best to _not_ look like a basket-case on his first day? However, this was becoming increasingly hard as Bakura kept putting his elbow on Marik's head, whistling innocently as he let it slide through Marik's skull, causing a chilling, numbing sensation to run everywhere.

Joey shot him a few concerned glances, whenever Marik's whole body would grow lax, his jaw falling open as he went into some kind of stupor. When they got off the bus though, Marik was the first one up, and Joey decided it must've been his imagination.

Yugi stood up after Marik, falling in line behind the Egyptian. "English is first period, so I can show you there. I'll show you the map and give you some directions, too," Yugi offered kindly, and Marik thanked him.

Floating around his head, Bakura scoffed. "Don't trust the midget! I'm here, so you don't need him!" Marik tilted his head at the spirt, hinting that he didn't quite understand. Bakura gave an exasperated sigh, before crossing his arms and flipping his bangs from his eyes.

"Are you stupid?" Bakura questioned. Marik bristled. "I only died two years ago!"

Marik hopped off the bus, before looking to the spirit. It hadn't exactly crossed his mind that Bakura had gone to this school, though it surely made since. If Marik was in Baukra's house, and he was zoned for this school, Domino High, then wasn't it obvious that Bakura had gone here as well. Mentally slapping himself for his own stupidity, he waited around the bus for Yugi to get off.

Sure enough, the little star haired boy appeared at last, bearing apologies for making Marik wait. The two boys made there way into the classroom, where the teacher gave Marik a text book and assigned him a seat. Marik made his way to the seat, far in the back. Thanking the Gods for that, Marik slid uneasily onto the hard plastic chair. He slipped his book down into the basket beneath before folding his arms uneasily ontop of the desk.

Soon, the girl Marik had seen Ishizu sitting with on the bus plonked down in front of him, before she whirled around, an ecstatic look in her brilliant blue eyes.

"Hey there!" She said ecstatically, holding out her hand for Marik to take. He studied it cautiously, before slowly letting his hand enter her hand's breathing zone. She didn't even wait for him to make immediate contact, she just lurched forward the rest of the way, before shouting out the regular greetings.

"I'm Tea Gardner," she added, as almost an afterthought, before whipping out a pen. She flipped Marik's hand over to where she could write on his palm. Flashbacks of a hot knife carving into flesh flashed through Marik's mind, as he let out a strangled cry, and tried to jerk his hand back from Tea.

Lifting a confused gaze to him, she stopped. "Does your mom not let you write on yourself?" Marik opened his mouth to answer, but she just carried on. "That's fine. A lot of mom's are like that! Do you have any paper?" Marik nodded dumbly, before fumbling around in his backpack for a binder that had some paper to spare.

Ripping out a sheet, he handed it to Tea, who quickly scribbled out her name, along with a number just beneath it. She shoved it beneath his nose, waggling it a little with a smile on her face.

"What . . .?" Marik questioned, taking the paper slowly from her grip.

"In case you ever need a friend!" Tea squealed happily, smiling at Marik. "Ishizu told me about you, how this was the first time you've been in school for a really long time. Oh! But she didn't tell me why," Tea quickly added, seeing Marik's scowl.

"Okay. . . Then . . . Um . . . Thanks, Tea?" Marik said slowly, before pocketing the piece of paper. Tea just winked, flipping him a peace sign, before turning back to the front board. Joey was right . . . She was nice to look at . . . But _damn_!

Bakura cackled, swirling around Marik, while doing imitations of Tea. He kept sitting on Marik's desk, and fluttering his eyelashes. Marik rolled his eyes, but secretly he was resisting the urge to bust out laughing at the spirit's antics.

Class ticked by at a snail's pace, before finally they were released. Yugi and Tea immediatly flocked to him, and they began spouting how to get to which classes. Tea, apparently a very helpful person to know, was giving Marik a school map, lunch schedule, and and event calender.

Pulling out a pink sharpie from her pockets, Tea put a big circle around something on the event calender, before pocketing the marker again.

"That's my dancing recital." She said happily, smiling at Marik. "Ishizu said she'd come, and so I was hoping you would too!" With that, she giggled, before heading out the door. Watching her leave made Marik notice how Ishizu was the only girl he'd seen with a long skirt on.

Yugi waved good-bye too, and hurried out after Tea.

Sighing, Marik clutched the school map, before going through his classes in a daze. While Joey had made a big deal about them having Biology together, the blonde had been to preoccupied with their teacher, Miss Valentine, to pay any attention to the new student.

Other then, of course, to shoot Marik a jealous look as Marik was hugged by Miss Valentine. Bakura was standing behind Marik, smirking the whole time as he made very suggestive gestures, causing the tanned boy to blush more then he already was.

Finally seated, though, Miss Valentine left him alone for the rest of the class, for which Marik was dreadfuly greatful for. He didn't know how much of that one boy could take. Bakura kept grinning, though, and asking Marik if he needed to go to the bathroom.

_No._ Marik had written out on his sheet of paper, glaring pointedly at Bakura. The spirit just smirked, before jumping into Marik's body. He took the pencil, and began writing something down.

_I could take care of it for you, baby. ^ _ ~_

Bakura relinquished control, as Marik stared dumbfounded at the untidy scrawl before him. He was beyond angered that Bakura had controled his body.

And then it hit him what Bakura had wrote.

This was quickly eclipsed, however, by the fact that Bakura had used an emoticon. Not even bothering with the real message, Marik spent the rest of class staring at the symbols, trying to figure out what they meant.

When class released, he was none the wiser. But, since Biology turned out to be his last class, he just loitered around until everyone had flooded out, before he wandered into the hallway. He looked to Bakura.

"What does that mean?" Marik questioned, pointing at the emoticon.

"Why that, dear Marik, means that I could reach my hand down and-"

"_Not. That._" Marik hissed, glaring angrily at the spirit, before pointing once more at the face. Bakura cackled, before swirling around Marik.

"It means that I winked sexily at you."

"You can't be sexy. It's impossible."

"Oh? I can't be sexy?" Marik's head jerked up, as he heard the new voice intrude on their conversation. It was Miss Valentine.

"O-Oh! M-Miss V-Valentine, um, wh-what're y-you . . .?" Marik stammered out, clutching the straps on his bag as Bakura was rolling on the floor laughing.

"What am I doing outside my class when there's a student loitering here?" She asked, with an arch to her brow as she put a hand on her hip, fingers tapping along the front.

"Um . . ." Marik couldn't think of anything to say. Miss Valentine just laughed and rolled her eyes, before ruffling some of Marik's hair. He made a voice of complaint, and immediatly went to try and fix it.

"You're a cute kid, Marik, but if you want to come out of the closet, do it nicely, not by insulting teachers." Miss Valentine now was leaning over, resting her hands on her knees as she studied Marik with a small smile on her face.

Marik felt his face go completely red, as Bakura's laughs rang even louder.

"I-I'm not . . . Um . . ." Marik struggled for words. He knew what _that_ phrase meant. Melvin had taken to singing and dancing to the song "_I'm Coming Out_" to Marik when they were younger, teasing his younger brother about being gay. So, Marik decided, a phrase for a phrase. "I don't like it in the butt," he blurted out.

Miss Valentine stared at him for a moment, before her body began to shake, blonde curls and all. Then a high, piercing laugh erupted from her mouth as she clutched her stomach and almost doubled over from laughing so hard. And, to add fuel to the fire, Bakura was off to the side, gasping with his non-existenet lungs while fake tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Y-You!" Miss Valentine seemed to not even be able to speak for the laughter. "You just . . . To a teacher . . ." It took her a whole five minutes to collect herself, before leveling a completely flushed and embarrased Marik. "Oh Gods . . . I'm sorry . . ." She even had to wipe her index finger along the bottom of her eye, leaving a track of mascara.

"HEY FAGGOT!" A voice boomed, and suddenly Bakura wasn't laughing anymore, and Miss Valentine wasn't the happy lady she'd been a moment before. Both of them snapped to attention as Melvin came rolling down the hallway, his school jacket slung over his shoulders as he made his way over to Marik.

"Yes brother . . .?" Marik asked, and Miss Valentine sent a disbelieving look between the two.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe, isn't it?" Melvin gave a cruel grin. "How something awesome like me got related to that pussy." Miss Valentine reared up, about to say something, but Melvin just snorted before glaring at her, running his tongue over his lips. "Why don't you just shut the fuck up, Mai. Nobody wants to hear your ass. You're only here for fanservice, so do your job and leave me alone."

Melvin strode forward, gripping Marik roughly by the arm, and dragged him away from Miss Valentine, who looked thoroughly hurt. She'd probably heard that a lot since getting a job here.

Marik tried to look over his shoulder, to tell her sorry, but Melvin just pushed him through the doors, kicking him square in the back. Marik toppled to the ground, letting out a strangled cry at the pressure on his older scars. Raising up to his feet, though, he saw that Melvin had been shoved up against the wall.

Thinking his savior was Bakura, he opened his mouth to utter a thanks. But, instead, he saw a tall, brown haired man standing before him, holding Melvin against the wall with one arm, as Ishizu came running over to Marik.

She slid to her knees, before she immediatly began questioning Marik on if he was okay. Muttering yes, Marik cast a curious look to the brown haired man.

"That's . . . That's Kaiba . . ." Ishizu explained, a small blush spreading over her cheeks as she ran a hand nervously through her hair. Kaiba was letting Melvin slide down from the wall as he stepped away, a repulsed expression on his face.

"Big brothers are to protect," he declared, before turning to Ishizu. "I'll see you in class tomorrow." His hands went to his pockets as Ishizu gave a slight nod, before glaring at Melvin.

Melvin just sneered at her, before rising up to his full heigh, glaring down at Marik.

"What's wrong? Your little freak show ain't here no more?" Melvin grinned cruely, as Marik glowered up at his brother.

Bakura was there, though, Marik could see him. He looked absolutely furious, though, as he flew over to Marik.

"We missed the bus . . ." Ishizu sighed, looking to Marik. "It's not to long a walk, though." She smiled reassuringly at Marik, but Mevlin just snorted, walking off. "He's probably going to hitch a ride with some of his friends . . ." She explained, as Marik watched Melvin go. He nodded, rising to his feet.

"Ishizu?" Marik asked, and his sister turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"Can you . . . Uh . . ." He cast an apprehensive look at Bakura. "Can you walk a little bit ahead? I want to talk to the spirit in private. . ." Ishizu looked like she might argue for a moment, but she sighed and gave a nod.

Letting Ishizu go far enough ahead to where he could see her, but she couldn't hear them, Marik looked over to the disgruntled Bakura.

"What's wrong with you?" Marik asked. The ghost just snarled and crossed his arms, floating beside Marik with his legs in a pretzel. "Don't sulk," Marik scolded.

"I was going to hurt Melvin!" Bakura spat, glaring down at Marik, who looked bewildered.

"Why would you?"

"Because! The same reason as that Kaiba-douche! Big brothers are supposed to be there for their siblings, not beat them!" Bakura snarled, before loosening up a bit, and letting himself fall a little, nestling onto Marik's shoulder. This seemed to be one of his new favorite spots.

Marik studied Bakura, before rolling his eyes. "You're a complete ass to me most of the time."

"I made your cereal dance for you!"

"Yes, and while incredibly amusing, I'm afraid that does not excuse some of the other stuff you do." Marik pointed out. Bakura just snarled.

"I've toned it down for you!"

"Oh?" Marik gave a sly grin. "So you're doing it for me?"

Bakura looked awkward for a moment, before he just snorted. "Not for _you_. For the memory of Ryou . . ." Scarlet eyes traveled to the concrete, where they rested.

"Ryou?" Marik asked, prompting the spirit into talking.

The spirit, however, wasn't buying.

"Now hold the hell up!" Bakura pretty much shouted, shifting to where he could glare angrily down at Marik. "You haven't told me a _fucking thing_ about yourself, but I'm just supposed to spill my guts to you?"

"Well, that would be rather nice of you," Marik laughed, before smiling up at Bakura. His expression turned slightly sour though, as he looked away from him. "Though I suppose you're right."

"You know I am . . ." Bakura muttered slightly, leaning inwards on the slight hope that Marik would tell him. After a few moments of silence, though, Bakura grew fed up with waiting. "Well?" He growled.

"Well what?" Marik looked up at him with an innocent expression, devoid of all knowledge of whatever Bakura could be thinking.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me about you?"

"Nah."

Bakura did a double take, before turning an incredulous look at Marik.

"Don't you wanna know more about me?" Bakura asked, angry.

"Not with those prices, no," Marik replied quite honestly. He shrugged, but regretted it at the icy coldness that washed over it.

"Keep your shoulder out of my ass," Bakura growled, pouting as he crossed his arms.

"Baby. . ." Marik grinned, before hurrying up to Ishizu as they neared their home.

**-(-o-)-**

**Gah. . . This chapter was the hardest. I kept going back and fixing crap I didn't like, and rewrote it twice, then rewrote even more parts. T ~ T. Tch. And I don't like Tea, but I will not bash. She's not like that to be annoying, she is just a very forward person. I have a friend like that, and I pulled a Marik and just kind of stared at her. xD**

**LittleKuriboh has a fanfiction account . . . With a Thiefshipping story. = O My world is complete. . . Lol, jk. Ah, yes. Kaiba is based more so off Japanese Kaiba, who isn't short with Mokuba, and he protects him like a good brother should. -Nod nod-. And Miss Valentine is not a slut. . . She just happens to be a pretty lady who gets judged a lot.**

**So, I got a review from .TwilightXx, and she/he pointed out somethings and I wanted to thank them. I like getting feedback like this, that helped me. I'm not very good with dialogue, and it does turn kinda wrong sometimes, but I'd like to thank-you. (Not to mention I had an 'Omg' moments since I've read Domino Institute by you, and am on What Happens on Campus, and I love them ).**

**Just noticed something . . . Each of these chapters is like seven pages long. Except this one, it's eleven . . . o.O And the voice of Bakura plays the voice of younger Odion; oh my!**

**Psh . . . Made this note to long . . .**

**Please Review and all that jazz! Feel free to ask questions and or anything else.**

**Seeya!**


	7. Chapter 7: Fine, We'll Date

"Tomorrow's Casual Day!" Ishizu announced as she plonked her tray down next to Marik's. She had to bunch up her skirt to make way for her legs as she slipped onto the hard plastic seats in the cafeteria. Marik froze, about to pop some salad into his mouth, before studying his sister.

"Excuse me?" He questioned over the loud cafeteria noises. He heard kids squealing everywhere, and he was sure he saw some food flying by. It was quickly replaced, however, by Tea, who flopped down next to Marik, smiling happily at him.

"Casual Day is this random day where we don't have to wear our uniforms!" She explained happily, as Ishizu began eating her own salad. Kaiba soon joined them, and Marik felt uncomfortable with so many people. He was especially shy around Kaiba. After all, it was just yesterday that Kaiba had come storming in, saving Marik from his own brother.

However, from the brown haired boy's cold attitude showed that he obviously didn't care. Sighing, Marik fiddled with the Millinium Ring. Tea noticed.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" She said ecstatically, peering at it. "It kind of looks like Yugi's puzzle." Ishizu frowned, but Marik knew this already. Yugi had told Marik just this morning that he'd had the puzzle for over eight years, so Marik knew it wasn't genuine. His father had only sold the Millinium Items six years ago.

Bakura came out of the Ring then, glaring at Tea. She was smiling, blithfully unaware, up at Marik's face.

"So, Marik," Tea continued, picking up a french fry and popping it into her mouth. "Will you come to my dance recital?"

"Sure," Marik said, not really thinking about Tea. He could see Bakura coming fully out of the Ring, taking on his full body form as he perched on top of Marik's shoulder.

"You should text me sometime too," Tea continued, tapping her phone that was sitting on the cafeteria table. Marik arched his eyebrows as he studied the piece of technology.

"I don't have one of . . . Those," he said vaguely, waving his hand at Tea's phone. She giggled softly, before winking at Ishizu, who grinned, before turning and engaging Kaiba in conversation.

"Well, if you ever get one, we should text!" Tea continued, before scooping her phone off the table. She craned her neck, before spotting Yugi. "Oh, Marik, I really wanna hang some more, but I need to talk to Yugi about a project of ours! I can't wait to see you tomorrow, though," she giggled, before hopping up and scurrying over to Yugi, taking her tray with her.

So now Marik was virtually alone. Ishizu was to busy talking to Kaiba to even notice that Tea had left. Turning to Bakura, he saw the spirit was resting on his shoulder, his arms crossed as he scowled.

Marik stood up then, muttering something about the bathroom, but Ishizu didn't even care. After that was said, he scuttled from the cafeteria, avoiding all the jeering preps as he made his way to the exit. He hurried into an abandoned hallway, where he slid down to the floor, before looking at Bakura.

"Something's bugging you . . ." He started, but Bakura just sneered at him, before drifting off of Marik's shoulder. He settled on the ground, facing the caramel skinned boy.

"Well, aren't you just the best bloody detective out there?" Bakura said, sarcasm dripping from his voice in a lethal amount. Marik glared at him, but said nothing. The ghost just sighed.

"C'mon Bakura, spill." Marik frowned, crossing his arms. Bakura scowled.

"I just think . . . That she's . . ." Bakura struggled for words. "A bit too friendly," he finished lamely, lowering his lids.

Marik laughed, before shaking his head. "Oh, spirit-"

"BAKURA!"

"_Fine_. Oh, _Bakura_ you worry to much!" Marik snarled, but he lightened afterwards, giving Bakura a reassuring smile. "Seriously, lighten up!" Bakura frowned, but said nothing.

He didn't like this Tea girl. There'd been a girl like her in Ryou's class named Miho. She had been really pretty with long purple hair always tied back in a ribbon. She'd taken an immediate liking to Ryou, because of his good looks, and she'd strung him along, happily taking her time with him. Bakura actually heard her laughing it up with her friends how she was going to go for the "older, hotter Touzouku brother". Bakura had felt awful, but hatred for this Miho girl was stronger. She'd never had a chance, however, to aim for Bakura, since the two boys had died. Bakura sometimes wondered how awful she felt, if at all, after she found out.

Either way, Bakura didn't want to see this happen to Marik, and this girl Tea was reminding him way to much of that Miho girl. He brushed it aside though, and hopped back onto Marik's shoulder as the bell rang. Marik stood up and continued his school day.

In his final period, Marik noticed that Miss Valentine was a lot more subdued. She wasn't cracking jokes with students, or strutting around. She was just standing there, giving them the lesson in a monotone voice as she wrote out notes on the board.

Marik felt a twinge of guilt that his brother was to blame. He entertained the idea of confronting her after school, but apparently the rest of the males in the class had the same idea, so Marik just exited the classroom, fiddling with the Millinium Ring as he walked.

"What's eating at you?" Bakura questioned, but Marik just shook his head as he saw the bus pulling away. The second day in a row he'd missed it. Apparently, though, he wasn't he only one, as he saw Ishizu exiting the school building with Kaiba. She, however, wasn't heading towards home, she was clambering into a limo that Kaiba was entering as well.

Marik's eyebrows rose, but he just shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking home.

"Are you going to answer my question now?" Bakura asked as soon as they were on a deserted street.

"Oh yeah . . ." Marik sighed. "It's nothing, really. I just feel bad for Miss Valentine. After all, it was my fault she got in trouble . . ."

"How so?" Bakura questioned, crossing his arms as he scowled down at Marik.

"Well, she was trying to defend me . . ." Marik said slowly, but Bakura just snorted.

"If she can't keep that nose of hers out of other people's business, then it's her own problem," Bakura said, glaring at the boy.

Marik scowled at him, but just rolled his eyes, offering Bakura a small smile. Bakura grinned back, before deciding to make the flowers uproot and sing songs for Marik on their walk home.

Laughing hysterically as they strode through the door, Marik made his way upstairs. His mother appeared, then, looking at him suspiciosly.

"What's so funny. . .?" She questioned, scanning the hallway as if searching for something.

"Oh, well . . ." Marik coughed. He wasn't sure his mother liked the whole idea of him hanging out with Bakura. "Bakura made the flowers dance and sing, so . . ." His face flushed as his mother's eyes narrowed.

Bakura appeared, then, letting his mother see him. She flinched a little, no doubt recalling images of Sphynx dragging himself through the halls, all because of this ghost. She'd probably heard from Melvin about the spirit tripping him up, and no doubt the other antics that Bakura had been up to.

"Why, hullo there, mummy," Bakura sniggered, smirking as his tounge flickered from behind his lips and ran the length of them, keeping his gaze locked onto Mrs. Ishtar. She shuddered, before turning her head away.

"Marik . . . How was . . . Um, how was school?" She questioned, doing her best not to let her gaze travel to Bakura.

"Oh, it was fine," Marik told her, a small smile playing across his lips as he remembered Bakura blasting a huge tunnel through a huge cluster of kids, giving Marik a free walkway. His memories also traveled to once, when he'd gone to use the bathroom, and three boys had crowded around his stall, asking if he wanted them to do naughty things to him. They'd cackled maniacly, before heading to the urinals.

Bakura had phased through at thise time, and caused all of the toilets to blow up, spattering the boys with their own urine. He and Marik had escaped just before a teacher came barging in, and they had collapsed in the hallway, laughing crazily.

"Did you make any friends . . .?" Mrs. Ishtar asked softly.

"Oh . . . Well, kind of, I guess." Marik shrugged. "Yugi Moto, Joey Wheeler, and Tea Gardner." Marik thought about adding Kaiba in there, but decided against it. He didn't really know the boy. "None of us are friends though," Marik added, "I've just talked to them . . ."

Bakura snorted on his shoulder, but he had the smarts to keep his mouth shut.

"Well that's. . . Nice. . . Yugi Moto. I've heard of him. His grandfather runs the Kame Gameshop downtown." Marik merely nodded at his mother's words. "How're classes?"

"Fine . . ." Marik said. He was fidgeting nervously now, seeing that Bakura was growing increasingly bored.

"That's lovely. Tell me about your teachers," his mother prompted. Marik knew she was doing this for him, but he really couldn't sit here anymore.

"Look, mom, Bakura and I need to do our homework, and-" Marik stopped at how that sentence sounded, and his mother even quirked an eyebrow. Bakura, however, just gave a smug smirk to Mrs. Ishtar, before twirling around her.

"That's right. Marik and I need to do our work, so just let us alone." Bakura's tone was mocking, and Mrs. Ishtar knew it. She scowled angrily at the albino, as Marik rolled his eyes, glaring at Bakura.

"Spirit-"

"My name is fucking Bakura!"

Marik sighed. "Bakura, please leave my mother alone. Mother, I apologize. We're going to go up to our room now." Marik didn't even pause as his mother's eyes narrowed even more at the word "our". The spirit floated over to Marik, though, clearly satisfied, as he sat on Marik's shoulder, before thumping him on the head.

"Mush, bitch." He grinned at Marik's scowl, and the two headed upstairs.

-(-o-)-

An hour later, and Marik's homework was still incomple, since Bakura kept distracting him. First, he'd taken to possessing Marik's pencils, making them let out a high pitched scream everytime he pressed them to the paper or tried to sharpen them.

After that grew stale, he took over Marik and drew dirty pictures all over Marik's homework. Flushing at the pictures, Marik quickly wadded them up and tossed them into the trashcan. Bakura knocked the paper off its flight, making Marik have to get up and walk over to throw it in the trashcan.

"Dammit, Bakura, I need to focus!" Marik exclaimed, plopping down in his chair. Or, that had been his intentions. Instead, he was sent toppling to the floor as Bakura span his chair around, sitting in it as he zoomed it across the hardwood floor.

"Oh, screw it all, I'm going to take a shower!" Marik snarled, standing up and brushing off his uniform. Retrieving a change of clothes, he headed into the bathroom, Bakura trailing after him. He and Bakura had an agreement that Bakura was to do nothing while Marik was in the shower; in return, Marik would talk to him to keep him entertained.

Bakura turned his back on Marik as the boy undressed and clambered into the tub. He started up the shower, loving the feel of the hot droplets rolling down his skin as he enjoyed this small amount of Marik-time.

"Hey, Marik?" Bakura's voice traveled through the curtain to Marik's ears, and the boy paused with his loufa still clenched in his hands.

"Yeah?" He questioned, resuming rubbing soap across his skin.

"Do you actually like school, or did you just say that for your mother?"

Marik pondered the question, taking it quite seriously. He rubbed some more soap on his body, before finally answering.

"I don't hate, or like it. I don't really like people all that much . . . But . . . It is kind of nice to have people to talk too. . ." His answer was quite honest, but he heard the spirit laughing from behind the curtain. Marik scowled, before reaching out a wet hand to pull the curtains back just a little, fixing his gaze on Bakura, a glare erupting across his features.

Bakura sniggered at the look, seeing Marik's wet hair falling into his face, sticking to the sides as more water dripped from the edge of his nose.

"What's so funny?" Marik demanded, his hand tightening into a fist around the fabric clenched in his hand.

"Your answer was stupid and cheesy," Bakura teased, his tongue slipping from between his lips, clearly mocking Marik. Marik just let out a groan of annoyance, before slipping back under the water. It had started growing chilly, so Marik hurried and finished, before yelling out a warning to Bakura.

The spirit just shoved his hands in his pockets, turning away as Marik slipped from the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist, before scooping up his dirty clothes and padding from the bathroom to his bedroom.

Upon entering, though, he saw Melvin sitting on his bed.

Fuck.

"Why hello, little brother," Melvin smirked, his face cruel. Marik's hand automatically went to the Millinium Ring around his neck, and he felt Bakura next to him.

"What the hell do you want, Melvin?" Bakura snarled, making hismelf visible. Melvin seemed to rethink his plan for a moment, with the appearance of Bakura, but soon he had regained his regular attitude, as he hopped up from the bed and made his way over to Marik.

"Look, Marik," Melvin grinned, "you're a cute little boy, and you see, there's this girl who's got her eyes on you." He smirked as he ran a hand up Marik's exposed chest. Marik yelped, and jumped back, while Bakura lurched forward, bristling.

Melvin rolled his eyes. "Chill, Casper. Either way, I owe her a favor see," Melvin's grin returned as he studied Marik. "And, well, I need you to go on a date with her. Just be her boyfriend for a little while."

Marik stared at Melvin.

"Why should I?" Marik growled.

"Because," Melvin snarled, lowering his face to Marik's, scowling threateningly at him. "If you don't, I'll make your life hell, and I'll beat your little ghostie boyfriend over there with the bible until he's nothing but a shriveling, mewling kitten on the floor before me." Melvin's gaze turned to Bakura, threatning as well.

Marik examined his options, before biting his lip. "Fine," he spat, and Bakura jumped in surprise. "Who's the girl?" He asked, in a tired sort of voice. He could feel goosebumps breaking out over his naked body, and he wanted to get Melvin out so he could get dressed.

"Tea Gardner," Melvin grinned. "Only," he held up one finger, "you can't let her know. She's not so desperate as to ask me to get her a date, but I know that's what she wants. I'll just make it seem like I talked to you, made you realize that you kinda got a thing for her, and bing bang, I've repayed my debt, and you get a chic. Everyone wins." Melvin sniggered. "And, hey, she's got a good bod. Maybe you'll finally get some."

With a flushed face, Marik watched Melvin exit his bedroom, slamming the door behind him as Marik walked over to his bed and collapsed there, burying his face in his hands. Bakura looked like he wanted to talk, but Marik simply made a motion for him to turn around as Marik got dressed in a wife beater and pajama pants.

Sliding into bed, he heard Bakura shoot over almost immediatly. The spirit floated over top Marik, hovering there so he could look directly at Marik when they spoke.

"Why did you agree?" Bakura demanded, glaring at Marik.

"Because!" Marik replied hotly, turning his head to the side. "I don't think either of us should provoke Melvin anymore. He already doesn't like you. Or me, for that matter. But he really can live up to his promise!" Marik lurched up into the sitting position, looking at Bakura, who had decided to adopt the sitting position on the bedspread.

"To make our lives hell?" Bakura queried, examining his nails, as if dirt could get in them.

"Yes! And if he hit you with that bible again . . ." Marik's voice trailed off, and he bit his lip nervously. The spirit opened his mouth, as if to say something comforting, but he mentally slapped himself, and forced his eyes to roll in their sockets.

"You're an idiot. . ." Bakura muttered instead. "So . . . You're going to go out with that Tea girl?" he questioned, tilting his head before laying down on his side. Marik did the same, facing Bakura.

"Yeah, I guess so . . ." Marik frowned, biting his lip. "I've never 'gone out' with anyone before though. . . ." Bakura laughed, but stopped when he saw Marik's expression.

"Aw, man, it's nothing." He grinned, baring his fangs slightly.

"Will you . . . Will you help me?" Marik blurted out, a hopeful expression taking over his face as he moved forward slightly, letting his hand hover uncertainly over Bakura's. He knew that touching it would be like submerging his hand in a bucket of iced water, so he refrained from that act.

"Help you date a girl?" Bakura chuckled, tilting his head.

"Well, yeah. Someone like you . . . You've had tons of experience, right?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" The spirit scowled, hating how Marik made him sound like a man whore.

Marik fumbled over the words for a moment, before finally saying, "Well, someone outgoing and h-. . ." he practically choked on the last word, "handsome . ." Bakura felt a grin creeping over his face as Marik blushed and averted his gaze.

"Fine, I suppose I'll help as much as I can." Bakura chortled, rolling onto his back. "Now get some sleep kid. Knowing you, you're going to be scanning your closet all morning for Casual Day."

"Bastard . . ."

-(-o-)-

**Psh . . .For once I got nothin' to say. . . . o. O**

**Please Review and whatnot!**

**Seeya!**


	8. Chapter 8: Casual Preperation

Marik scanned his closet, pulling out clothes and studying them all. Bakura stood behind him, making pencils fly around, impaling skeeter eaters against the wall. Marik's lip curled as he saw their guts spatter his wall.

"Bakura, quit it! That's disgusting!" Marik snarled, turning around and planting his hands on his hips. The spirit just looked at him, before sighing as if he'd been ask to do something completely dreadful.

"Oh shove it. . . I'll clean up later," Bakura snarled, turning his back on Marik, who just sighed and turned away from him, returning to the task of choosing clothes. He eventually chose an outfit, and layed the articles across his arms, before turning to Bakura.

"Shoo," Marik commanded, waving his hand at the door.

"Fine, fine," Bakura said, before phasing out of the door.

Marik chuckled softly, before pulling on his clothes.

-(-o-)-

Bakura sat outside the door, waiting for his effiminate friend to finish. He saw Ishizu, dressed in an orange long-sleeved shirt, with a white skirt that flowed around her ankles as she walked. Bakura arched an eyebrow. That girl never showed any skin.

Marik exited his room then, and Bakura hopped up, before staring at the boy.

He was wearing a light lavender top that was off the shoulder, with black tanktop straps showing across his shoulders. He was wearing black and purple plaid pants, with several multi-colored belts looped around his waist. And, as usual, he was wearing golden jewlrey crusted over his skin.

Marik saw Bakura staring, and twirled around a little, before striking a pose, his hands held aloft as he smiled at Bakura.

"You like?" Marik laughed, and Bakura quickly turned his face into a scowl.

"Yes, because I just love seeing sixteen year old Egytpian _males_ twirling around before me," Bakura answered drily.

"Oddly descriptive," Marik giggled. Bakura just rolled his eyes as Marik brushed past him, heading into the bathroom. Ishizu was in there too, and the siblings both shared the mirror as they brushed their hair.

Bakura sat atop the counter, looking into the mirror, unable to see himself as he watched the two.

"Interesting choice, Marik," Ishizu commented, setting her brush down and grabbing her toothbrush. Marik followed her example, before chuckling softly.

"Guess so," Marik mumbled around his toothpaste. Bakura made himself fully visible, and Ishizu jumped a little.

"Why are you always so conservative?" Bakura questioned, studying Ishizu.

"Oh . . .I don't know," she shrugged. "It's just how I've always been."

"Even around Kaiba?" Bakura added slyly, lips curving up at the corners as his eyes slanted with humor. Ishizu's face flushed, and she hastily washed her mouth out before dashing from the bathroom.

"Bakura!" Marik scolded, his mouth now free of paste as well. "What the hell was that?" The spirit rolled his eyes, before jumping onto Marik's shoulder.

"Oh, shaddup."

-(-o-)-

Marik made his way down to the bus stop. Ishizu was avoiding Bakura, and Melvin just kept grinning at him. Sighing, Marik shoved his hands in his pockets and glared at Bakura.

Ishizu shuffled up to him, before fidgeting for a moment. She then pulled something out of her backpack, and shoved it underneath Marik's nose. He studied it for a moment, before identifying it as a cellphone.

"You're . . . Giving me a phone?" Marik questioned, taking the little piece of plastic into his hand. Bakura was studying it from his spot atop Marik, thinking of possible pranks that Bakura could play in the future.

"Yes," Ishizu answered. "I talked to mother, and we decided that you need one. Hers, Melvin's, Tea's, and my number are all in there," she went on, and then she spent the rest of the time showing Marik how to operate the phone.

The bus rolled up then, and Marik quickly pocketed the piece of technology. He clomped up the stairs onto the bus, and watched as Ishizu made a beeline for Tea. She was intercepted, however, by Melvin, who gripped her upper arm and dragged her to the back of the bus.

Marik lurched forward, understanding what Melvin wanted, and quickly seated himself next to Tea.

"Hey Marik!" Tea giggled, smiling happily at him. Then she noticed his outfit, and her smile fell a little. He noticed her's as well, though. It was a blue jean skirt, with a pink t-shirt that had a picture of a dancing frog on the front. She wore brown boots up to her knees, and she wore a few bracelets strapped onto her wrists.

"Um. . . . Hey, Tea," Marik greeted, clenching the edge of his seat as he let his legs stretch out in front of him.

"Nice, uh . . ." Tea seemed to flounder for words. "Nice outfit!" She finally managed. He grinned at her.

"Yeah, you too," his grin then turned sheepish, as he pondered how to ask the next question. Marik had never even entertained the thought of asking a girl out, but now, all of a sudden, he was being shoved into dating a girl that he hardly knew, just to save his friend's life-Well, his friend's death- and his own backside.

"I. . . I like the purple. It um. . . Matches your eyes?" Tea was slowly running out of things to say, and Marik could tell. Lifting his head up, he studied her.

"Thanks. And I like your outfit too. I'm surprised at your choice in shoes though. Smaller boots probably would've been better, or maybe those same boots but in a different color. Brown kind of clashes with everything," Marik rambled, as Tea just sat there.

"Oh . . . I'll, uh . . . I'll keep that in mind. . . So. . . Did you get your knew phone?" Tea asked, desperatly trying to get on a different topic.

"Oh! Yeah!" Marik pulled out the phone, and Tea saw that it was a pink phone with a slide-out keyboard. She groaned inwardly, but said nothing aloud, only commented on how awesome it was, and how now she and Marik could text.

Bakura was watching this all with a frown.

There was no way this Tea girl was going to want anything to do with Marik after this mess. She'd toss him to the side, and then Marik would get in trouble from Melvin. Sighing, Bakura leaned started talking to Marik.

"Marik," the spirit whispered, and Marik gave a small jolt of surprise. "Ask her if she wants to see a movie or something!" Marik stopped, before pondering this, and Bakura could only roll his eyes at the boy's stupidity. More like ignorance; he corrected himself.

"Oh, um, Tea?" Marik asked, fiddling with a belt around his waist. "Would you wanna, um, go see a move with u- I mean me?" Marik had almost slipped up and said 'us'. He shot a nervous glance at Tea, but she didn't seem to have caught it. All the doubts she had just thought of Marik vanished instantly, and she squealed happily.

"Oh! Sure Marik! I think it'd be fun!" Tea giggled happily, and she smiled at him. "I'll text you tonight then, and we can discuss details!" Marik gave a slow nod as the bus pulled into park right outside the school.

Sighing with relief, Marik hopped up from his seat and jumped out of the bus. He was about to take off when he felt a hand tighten on his shoulder, and he recognized Melvin.

"Hey, fucktart. Didja ask her out?" Melvin struck an impressive figure before Marik. He wore a simple, tight black t-shirt, with khakis on. Plenty of the female students were stopping to observe, appreciating that the uniform wasn't hiding the elder Ishtar anymore. Marik could feel girls' eyes roaming over him as well, but they weren't as admiring as the looks Melvin recieved.

"Yeah. . ." Marik answered the question, shooing all thoughts of girls from his head. Well, except for one girl, unfortunatly.

"Good," Melvin grunted. "Now you keep her happy, at least for a little while . . ." Melvin shoved his hands in his pockets before striding away. Marik breathed out in relief. Bakura hopped off of Marik's shoulder then, and stood next to the boy.

"We've got lots of work to do," Bakura said, running an eye over Marik. "For one, your fashion is to girly," he held up a hand as Marik's mouth popped open to retort. "If you start arguing with me, you'll just look like you've gone mad."

Marik shut his mouth, grumbling as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Number two," Bakura continued, walking along side him, smirking at Marik's expression. "Apparently your social skills suck too." Marik shot him a dirty look, but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut this time.

Tilting his head back, Bakura watch the sky move above them. When he lowered his gaze, Marik was exeptionally far ahead, and Bakura shot forward, wrapping an arm around Marik's neck, grinning at the small shiver he sent through the Egyptian boy.

"Does my touch make you nervous, Marik?" Bakura sniggered.

"Asshole . . ." Marik muttered, heading into the school buidling and to his first period.

-(-o-)-

Lunch time came, but Marik and Bakura headed into a deserted hall, where Bakura settled down next to him. Marik had a salad in his lap, and he talked in hushed tones with the spirit.

"Why should I listen to you anyways?" Marik growled, stuffing some food in his mouth.

"Because," Bakura grinned. "Isn't it you who_ asked_ me to help?" Marik scowled, but didn't try to argue again.

"Guess you're right . . . Either way. . . What movie are we going to go see?" The blonde asked instead, twirling his fork in the remains of his lunch. Bakura cupped his chin in his hand, and mused over it, before shrugging.

"Dunno . . . It's probably best to let Tea choose, isn't it, though?" Bakura flopped onto his stomach, looking up at Marik as they talked.

"Yeah, guess so. . ." Marik agreed, before setting his empty plate to the side. He yawned and stretched, the fabric of his shirt pulling up just a little to reveal the caramel skin hidden underneath. Bakura grinned, before shoving a finger through Marik's skin. Marik let out a little squeak of surprise, before his back arched and his head leaned back agaisnt the lockers.

"Bah-Bakura!" Marik stammered, trying to pull away fromt he bemused spirit. Said ghost's eyebrows were raised, studying Marik.

"That was an. . . Interesting reaction," he chuckled, and recieved a glare in return.

"You're an asshole, you know that!" Marik laughed.

"Hey Marik!" He heard a voice yell happily from the other end of the hall. Thinking quickly, Marik looked at his phone, muttered goodbye into it, and snapped it close, faking as if he had just ended a conversation.

"Hey, Tea," Marik smiled shakily, waving at the girl who was now approaching him. Tea quickly flopped down before him, and Marik got a flash of panties. He was vaguely aware of Bakura snarling behind him, but he didn't know what for.

Bakura, though, was snarling at being interrupted. This was his time with Marik! This stupid girl would get time later, so, at least for now, surely she could back off? Of course, Bakura couldn't say any of this, so he wisely kept his jaws wired shut, and just took to glaring angrily at the girl before him.

"I wasn't interrupting a phone call of yours, was I?" She asked, looking pointedly at the phone that Marik was pushing into his pockets.

"Oh, no. I was just talking to a. . ." Marik frowned for a moment, before waving a hand, "a friend."

"Sorry!" Tea squeaked. "I'll let you get back to them!" She stood up, as if to go, but Marik reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, giving her a small smile.

"No, it's fine. It wasn't an important conversation anyways," he assured her, and she slowly lowered back down to the tiles, smiling happily at his hand. She soon replaced her wrist with her own hand, though, and Marik felt himself feel slightly panicky.

The spirit in the background, however, was fuming. He wasn't imporant? What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean! And Marik wasn't even going to look at him! He was to busy with his eyes on that stupid woman!

But, Marik turned around then, and gave a small smile to Bakura, giving him a slight thumbs up, before turning his attention back to Tea.

"I was thinking we should go see Red Riding Hood!" Tea giggled, staring down at their inter-linked fingers, before looking into his lavender eyes.

"Uh . . . Sure . . .?" Marik had read several variations of the fairytale, so he figured it would be okay. Maybe Bakura would enjoy it too, since he'd read one or two versions that involved a little girl and her grandmother being eaten. Of course, sometimes they ended with the the poor wolf getting his stomach slit open and having stones piled in it for him to fall into a river and die . . .

Hm. . . . Tea didn't seem like the type of girl to enjoy that stuff, but maybe he was wrong, after all.

"Great!" Tea beamed at him, just as the bell rang. "Oh, Marik! I need to get to class. . . ." She averted her gaze shyly as they both stood up. Marik prepared to go to his own classroom, but just then Tea launched forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Blinking in surprise, Marik did like he did when Ishziu hugged him. Reaching out his hands, he put them awkwardly on the small of Tea's back.

He thought it seemed stupid, but Tea had apparently liked it, since she pulled away, face flushed and smiling like he'd handed her a million dollars.

"I'll uh . . . I'll call you with details tonight . . ." She said a little breathlessly, before squealing slightly and turning away. She ran down the hall, just as Marik saw Ishizu round the corner. Tea bumped into her, and began talking quickly, and Marik saw Ishizu's eyes narrow and lock onto Marik's form.

"Shit. . ." Marik muttered, before he quickly gripped the Millinium Ring. "Shall we be off then?" He questioned Bakura, who grinned, before nodding. He hopped up onto Marik's shoulder.

Sitting there, he felt slightly disturbed that the Tea girl had yet taken another of Bakura's spots. Marik's shoulders were his. They were his throne to be seated upon, and no stupid common human had the right to wrap their arms around it. Or any part of their body, for that matter. Nobody else deserved to touch the skin covered chair.

Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest as Marik headed off to class. The boy didn't seem phased at all that such a pretty girl like Tea liked him. Bakura could make a few guesses about this, but he decided to keep them to himself. Marik tended to be touchy on personal things.

Well, that was fine, either way, Bakura supposed. He had an eternity with the boy, after all.

He would eventually find out all the things he needed to know.

-(-o-)-

Marik had decided that walking home was much more enjoyable. In the morning, it wasn't as appealing, since it was usually colder, and he was still halfway asleep. But, during the afternoon when the sun was glorious and the green grass was swaying in the wind, Marik found it best to be outside.

He sighed happily, letting his hands clasp behind the back of his head, as he watched the clouds skud across the sky. Soon, the puffy white vapor was replaced by another white entity; one with crimson eyes.

"School today was boring," Bakura said, still sitting on Marik with his legs crossed.

"Yeah, guess it was," Marik laughed, pulling down his hands to put them on his hips.

"You should be more entertaining."

"You should quit being a jerk."

"Hi Marik!" Tea's voice rang out behind him, and Marik jumped, gripping the Ring as he whirled around, to see Tea skiping happily towards him, Yugi at her heels.

"Oh, Tea," Marik exclaimed, not quite letting go of the Ring. Yugi had his hands cupped around his Puzzle in much the same fashion. He smiled up at Marik, as he and Tea reached Marik.

Bakura scowled angrily at the girl. Yet another time that was his, and she just barged in! She even brought that stupid midget! Bakura snarled deep and low, but Marik shot him a warning look.

"We're just heading to the Kame Game Shop," Tea explained, smiling at little Yugi, who was fidgeting with the chain his Puzzle was on. "We'ere still working on that project. Ugh," she rolled her eyes. "So, what time will we meet up tonight?"

_Tonight?_ Bakura thought. _She sure is ready for this date . . ._

Marik wasn't surprised though, he just paused to think. "How about . . . Eight?"

"Perfect!" Tea agreed, looking to Yugi. "We should be able to wrap up around that time. I'll meet you at the Domino Theatre around eight, then." She waved good-bye, and she and Yugi continued walking past him.

Bakura sighed in relief. Good. That Tea would not be interrupting his and Marik's alone time. Marik, however, refused to talk until Yugi and Tea were completely out of his line of vision.

But, of course, by that time, they were already home, and Marik was stomping up the stairs to get started on homework. Groaning, Bakura had nothing to better to do but follow the boy up the stairs. He plopped down on the bed with Marik, as the blonde boy struggled with Algebra.

Bakura tried to help him, but everytime he tried to point, or show Marik how to write something, or work something out, he ended up going through the boy, sending shivers throughout the boy's body.

"Ugh! This isn't getting us anywhere!" Bakura snarled when he had tried to show Marik how to solve a substitution problem, but his hand and gone through Marik's, causing the boy's whole arm to seize up.

"Ow. . . I'm sorry . . . But it kinda feels like a wanker's cramp. . ." Marik complained, rubbing at his skin. "Well, a cold one . . ."

"That's sick," Bakura chuckled, lip curling in a joking way. Then the wheels in his brain began to turn. "Wait here for a minute, Marik," Bakura said, before drifting from the room.

Marik did as he was told, though he kept looking at the clock on his phone. Five o' clock. He hoped he could finish the homework in time. After all, wasn't it rude to keep a lady waiting? Or something like that anyways. . .

Just as he thought this, Melvin entered the room. Marik glared at his brother, but Melvin just chuckled and moved over to Marik's bed, before plopping down. He plucked the pencil from his younger brother's hand, and scooted over to where he was laying on his stomach.

Melvin began scribling down some notes, before looking at Marik.

"This is how you do it. If Y equals this, then you take the Y from this problem, and drag it over here. Then you just solve it like any other equation." Marik blinked dumbly at Melvin, before his brother turned to him and smirked.

"_Bakura!_" he cried out, suddenly realizing it. Melvin's eyes rolled, and he sighed.

"Duh," Melvin-now identified as Bakura-chuckled.

"Okay . . . ." Marik smiled softly, before moving closer, observing the problem. His shoulders rose slightly, and Bakura noticed how Marik's blonde hair fell softly over his shoulders, hanging into his innocent lavender eyes.

Blinking in surprise, Bakura quickly turned back to the problem. "Do you understand now?"

"Yeah!" Marik cried enthusiastically, nodding quickly before he took his pencil back, and began scribbling down answers to some problems. Bakura helped him out a few times, showing him other shortcuts.

"Wow!" Marik breathed, "Thanks Bakura!" Marik smiled, and leaned forward, hugging Bakura. Bakura blinked a few times, before staring at Melvin's hands stretched out before him. He slowly put them on Marik's back, before letting them hug Marik back, like how he did when he had Ryou.

"Well, strange to see you two so sweet," came Ishizu's dry voice from the door, and he saw their mother standing behind her. Marik flushed, and quickly hopped away from Melvin's body. He bit his lip, and looked at the two women before him.

"Oh, um. . . Melvin was just uh . . . Helping with homework. . ." Marik said, lamely, as Ishizu raised an eyebrow. Melvin's eyes rolled.

"It's me, Ishizu, Bakura," Bakura chuckled, leaning forward in Melvin's body. Ishizu blinked a few times, but just shook her head.

"Look, Marik, we need to talk," Ishizu continued on, and Marik frowned, looking pointedly at his mother. "She has nothing to do with this, don't worry, she was just looking for Melvin."

"I need Melvin too, uh . . . Take out the trash," Mrs. Ishtar said nervously, hiding behind Ishizu as she watched Melvin nervously.

"I'll release the ass," Bakura stood in Melvin's body, before marching it out of the room. He stopped at the door frame, however, and turned back to Marik. "Touch the Ring if you need me . . . I should feel it. . ." Marik nodded dumbly, fingers going up to caress the gold. Bakura chuckled, and left the room, presumably to release Melvin since his mother followed afterwards.

"Look. . . ." Ishizu said, moving forwards and plopping down next to Marik, eyeing him critically. "I don't know why you're going out with Tea, but I swear to all the Gods above Marik," her voice turned sinister. "If you hurt my friend, life in this house will be miserable."

"Why would I hurt her?" Marik exclaimed, hurt that his sister would think that.

"Because of you and . . . ." She sighed and looked at her lap, before muttering something.

"Because of me and _what_ dear sister?" Marik snarled, glaring at Ishizu.

"Because of you and Bakura!" She yelped, finally, before returning her gaze to her lap, where her hands were twisting around each other. Marik's fingers, again, ticked up towards the Ring, gripping it slighty, but not enough to get Bakura to come.

"Me and. . . .?" Marik tilted his head. "Because my best friend is a ghost?"

Ishizu lifted her eyes to him once more, face defiant. "_Friends_ you say Marik? Sometimes I wonder . . ." Marik spluttered momentarily, before stopping, shaking his head, and spluttering some more.

"Ishizu. . . . He's . . . He's my friend! And he's a. . . A boy! I mean, c'mon! You know I'm. . . ." He waved a hand vaguely. "Straight!"

Dark eyebrows arched as Ishizu let her eyes wander over Marik's outfit. Marik's face flushed, and quickly wrapped his arms around his torso, glaring at Ishizu.

"I'm not doing anything like that with Bakura. We're just friends. And I. . . um, I like Tea. . . She's a really sweet girl!" Marik was scrambling, but Ishizu's face brightened, and she smiled softly.

"Okay then! I hope you two are okay then!" She giggled, flinging her arms around Marik's neck, before hopping away. "I suppose you need to get ready then!" She skipped from the room, and Marik gripped the Ring hard.

Bakura floated up from the floor, before landing softly on his feet, smiling at Marik.

"Shall we get you ready for your date then?"Bakura questioned.

"Yeah," Marik smiled, moving over to his closet.

"Oh hell no," Bakura grinned, reaching forward and gripping Marik's arm. Marik shivered heavily, but Bakura just ignored it and pushed Marik over to the bed.

"What're you-?"

"Shut up," Bakura chuckled, before he floated to the closet thumbing through the clothes. "I am choosing the outfit, since you tend to make yourself look like a super fag." Marik scowled, his knees knocking together as he stared glumly at Bakura.

"Meanie. . ." Bakura rolled his eyes at the lame retort.

He sighed, before pulling out an outfit, smiling at the clothes on the hangers. He looked over at Marik, who frowned at the outfit.

"Aw, man, no! That's totally ugly!"

"And you're going to wear it."

-(-o-)-

**And we end it here. . . . xD**

**Psh . . . Another chapter that I had to rewrite a few times. . . Ugh . . . And I won't put the ending to Red Riding Hood on here, so you don't have to worry about spoilers. . . . I didn't like it. The only thing I give it props for was the fact that I couldn't guess who the wolf was . . . Then again, it's by the dude who directed Twilight, and I hate Twilight with a bloody passion . . . The books and the movies. The movies just moreso.**

**Ah, yes, for anyone who cares. This is the picture that I made for Marik's casual day outfit:**

**.com/photos/26167557N03/5689386478/in/photostream**

**And, um, I think that's all . . . Oh, one more thing. Chapter 4 of Bakura and Marik go to Censored Town left me like this: D = **

**Yeah, now that's all. . . .**

**Reviews and all that will be loved. = D**

**Seeya!**

**(Did anybody notice the sexual innuendo in there. . .? 3 )**


	9. Chapter 9: The Possessed Date

Marik sat in the movie theatre, fiddling with his phone as he tried to ignore Bakura, who kept attempting to get him to talk. But, as he'd pointed out to the spirit, they were in public and Marik couldn't exactly engage Bakura in conversation.

Marik sighed, as he looked down at the outfit said ghost had chosen for him.

It was a dark purple shirt with a design of golden guitars and black skulls spread all over it. He had been forced into snug black jeans, with black and white converse on his feet. He had been allowed to keep his jewlrey, though only on his wrists. Bakura had practically yanked his earrings out.

In fact, his memory wandered back to that . . .

-(-o-)-

_"Bakura! No!" Marik had squealed, as Bakura reached forward and gripped his wrist, dragging him upward. Marik spasmed a little from the cold, but he discovered, to his surprise, that after a moment it became a sort of dull throb._

_ "Marik! Yes!" Bakura smirked, quite obviously enjoying this. He tugged off Marik's shirt, while the boy squirmed in his grip. "Truly Marik, this is sad. You can't even fight a cloud of vapor," the albino teased, and Marik struggled all the harder. Bakura rolled his eyes, and tossed Marik's lavender top over onto the bed._

_ "Dammit, Bakura!" Marik cried out, but the spirt had already made his tanktop fly off, leaving Marik shirtless. Bakura cackled as Marik let out a whine, and he clasped the boy's hands behind his back, before marching him over to the bed, where he pushed him down. Long fingers found their way around Marik's waist, and moved to his pants, aiming for the buttons._

_ "OH HELL NO!" Marik screeched, fighting more and more. Bakura just scowled, before shoving his hand through Marik's back. The blonde cried out, and his back arched upwards as he shook in Bakura's grap. He moaned slightly, before Bakura pulled back his hand._

_ "Jesus Christ, don't you ever shut up? I've seen you in your boxers before, boy!" Bakura snarled, before ripping Marik's pants off. Marik let out a feeble sound of protest, before curling his legs up to himself as Bakura released him._

_ Bakura tossed the britches away, before examining his captive. The boy really did look to girly, sitting there panting with a blush on his face as his long hair framed his face. Sighing, Bakura reached for the clothes he had chosen._

_ "I can dress myself you know!" Marik scowled as Bakura approached closer with a new shirt in hand. Bakura stuck his tongue out, before lurching forward and knocking Marik backwards onto the bed. He chuckled as Marik cried out again; the boy was writhing beneath him._

_ "You're no fun," Bakura scolded, before hopping off of Marik. He handed the boy the shirt, before sighing and shoving his hands into his pockets._

_ "Thank-you," the blonde said stiffly, pulling on the shirt over his head. He stared down at it, clearly unhappy with Bakura's choice. Bakura just tossed him the pants, before continuing to study Marik._

_ "Okay, c'mere," Bakura commanded when Marik had finished. Suspicious lavender eyes watched the spirit, who was growing increasingly aggravated. "Get your ass over here, dammit!" Marik glared, but complied, taking a few tentative steps toward the spirit._

_ "What is it?" Marik asked, as Bakura got uncomfortably close to his face._

_ "Your eyeliner needs to go. So does all that jewlrey."_

_ "What?" Marik spluttered, obviously not pleased by this phrase._

_ "Ugh," Bakura snarled, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. He leaned back, letting his crimson eyes match Marik's gaze. "Look, you're just to damn girly. And, last time I checked, Tea isn't a lesbian. So," Bakura frowned, looking at all the glittering gold. "Man up a little."_

_ Marik had fought as much as he could, but Bakura was adamant. He eventually gave up on the wrists, but made Marik take off his neck clasps._

_ "Why should I?" Marik pouted, reaching his tanned fingers up to unhook the accesories._

_ "Oh, Marik . . . You haven't watched enough movies," Bakura had chuckled, before covering Marik's fingers with his own. Marik hands had shook from the cold, and he quickly lowered them as Bakura's nimble fingers undid the clasps holdng the gold there. _

_ Marik didn't like the sound of that, but he decided to ignore it. Then he felt a coldness coming from his ears._

_ "No way!" Marik said, hopping from Bakura and clapping his hands over his ears. "The earrings stay!"_

_ "Hell no!" Bakura snarled, crossing his arms. "Look, you wanted my help, and now I'm giving it."_

_ "Well, I don't want it!"_

_ "Well, don't it just fuckin' suck to be you?" Bakura cackled, before moving forward and pushing Marik onto his back on the bed. Marik sighed, knowing very good and well there was no point in fighting as Bakura towered over him._

_ Bakura noticed there was no resistance, though, as he leaned forward and moved for the earrings. He sighed, glaring at Marik as he roughly unhooked the things, ignoring Marik's little twinges from the cold and pain from Bakura being so jerky with them._

_ "Well, take away my fun, why dontcha?" Bakura snarled. Marik just frowned up at him, before shoving his tongue out, smirking._

-(-o-)-

Marik looked at the time on his phone. Eight fifteen . . . He swung his feet a little. He wondered what was taking Tea, and then he decided that he was being to expectant. It was only fifteen minutes, after all. She probably hit traffic or something like that.

Bakura scowled at Marik, before letting his eyes rove over the crowd of people. He finally stood up, though, as he saw a man off to the side. He was waving good bye to a group of friends, and he just loitered there for a moment, trying to finish off his drink. Perfect.

Bakura smirked, before floating over to the man. He had white hair that curled around his chin and hung down to his shoulders. He had dark tanned skin like Marik, and he also had light lavender eyes, though Bakura didn't much like the look in them. Despite this, he moved forward to possess the man. This way, he could talk to Marik, since he could tell the boy was completely bored waiting for that girl Tea to show up.

So, jumping into the tanned man, Bakura took control of the body. He stopped, adjusting to the fact that he had a body now. He flexed his shoulders a little, then twitched his fingers. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing. A scarlet shirt, with black jeans. This man also liked golden jewlrey just as much, or possibly even more, then Marik! Sighing, he took a few steps forward, before heading towards his friend.

Marik had just noticed that Bakura wasn't there. He frowned, and his hands automatically ticked up to his Ring, fidgeting nervously. Great.

Tea was late, and now Bakura had ditched him! Ugh . . . What awesome friends he had, no?

"Hello."

Marik craned his neck to look up at the owner of the deep voice he'd just heard. He studied the man before him, who had white hair just like a certain somebody. He was dressed in scarlet and black, with lavish jewlery adorning him.

"Um . . . H-Hello?" Marik said slowly. He didn't really know what to do, and he wished with all of his might that Bakura would show up. The albino would no what to do when a complete stranger came up to you and decided to start talking.

The man grinned though, showing pearly white teeth, and he plopped down, spreading his legs a little as he leaned forward, resting his elbows onto his knees, before clasping his hands in the air, his gaze traveling over Marik.

"You haven't realized yet, have you Marik?" The man sniggered, and Marik felt something click in his brain. Something familiar. . . . But his annoyance shoved it away.

"Realized what, exactly?" Marik snapped, crossing his arms, completely forgetting that he was shy. He simply glared at the white haired man before him. "And who're you to say my name so freely? I don't think we've ever met!"

The man let out a deep booming chuckle, before sitting up straight. He smirked, before shaking his head, tossing his white hair about.

"It's me, you dolt. It's Bakura."

"Oh!" Marik squeaked. "Bakura, I-I'm sorry, I didn't-!" Bakura shushed the boy with a finger held up in the air, before he crossed his right leg over the left, studying Marik as he leaned backwards on his hands.

"It's fine," Bakura grinned. "This man was on his own, and he'd already finished his movie, so I figured I'd take over him so we could talk, since your date isn't showing up anytime soon apparently." Marik scowled.

"Yeah, thanks for that reminder, jerk," Marik said in a mock-angry tone, a smile pulling at his lips the whole time.

"Ah, well, what're friends for?" Bakura smirked, ruffling Marik's hair. Marik made a noise of complaint in the back of his throat, before reaching up and taking Bakura's hand.

"Now, now, 'Kura, behave."

"Oh, so we've moved onto pet names, have we?" Bakura purred, moving forward, lowering his face to Marik's to where their noses almost touched. Marik let out a yelp of surprise, and lurched back. Bakura rolled his eyes, before straightening up again.

"Jeez! Don't do that!" Marik glared, lifting himself up, but Bakura just grinned. "Man, it's kinda wierd. . ." Marik frowned, studying Bakura. Or, rather, the body he inhabited.

"What is?" Bakura questioned, tilting his head. He could smell popcorn in there, and for some reason, he had a stronge desire to have some, along with some coke, and candy and . . .Well, anything, really! Anything edible, drinkable . . . Though, he supposed it wasn't to odd. After all, he hadn't eaten or tasted anything at all in two years.

"Seeing you in somebody else's body," Marik explained, and he saw where Bakura's eyes were traveling. "Wait here, then," Marik ordered, before hopping up. He ran over to the concession stands, and bought a large popcorn, and a large Dr. Pepper. He scurried back to Bakura, before plopping down next to him. He held out the popcorn bucket to Bakura, who stared at it with a hungry expression. Marik laughed at it, and Bakura snatched up a handful of popcorn, shoving it into his mouth as he chewed on it noisily.

Marik watched, with an arch in his blonde eybrow as Bakura dug into the food.

"When does your movie start?" Bakura finally asked, pausing with his hand shoved into the popcorn again.

"In about five minutes . . ." Marik sighed. "We agreed to meet up at eight, but the only showing that was still open was at nine, so . . ." Marik shrugged, before eating some popcorn slowly. Bakura studied him for a moment, before jumping to his feet.

"Y'know what?" Bakura said, before reaching out and wrapping his hand around Marik's wrist. It was odd, and Bakura paused for a moment, to not see Marik shiver at his touch. It was odd that his hand didn't phase through, as well. But, ignoring that, he pulled Marik to his feet, before grabbing the snacks.

"What is it Bakura?" Marik questioned, as Bakura dragged him over to the ticket boy.

"Red Riding Hood is seating. Let's just face it. That Tea chic apparently ain't showin' up, so let's go watch it!" Bakura shoved the tickets to the teenager at the stand, and the boy ripped them in half before handing them to Bakura and Marik.

Marik followed Bakura to the correct theatre, still slightly confused.

"You wanna . . . You wanna watch the movie . . .?" Marik asked softly, the hand that Bakura wasn't crushing in his grip snaked up to the Millinium Ring.

Bakura snorted. "Hell no. But you already bought the tickets." Bakura cackled, before shoving Marik into the theatre room. Marik scowled, before making his way up to the top of the stands. He moved down the row, just as the lights were beginning to dim. He sat in a chair, as Bakura plopped down next to him.

Marik regarded him uneasily as the previews began to play.

"Bakura," Marik muttered, leaning on his armrest towards Bakura.

"Mm?"

"Should you really keept control of his body this long? Shouldn't he be getting home?" Marik tapped Bakura's arm, and Bakura glared.

"He can deal with it."

"If you say so . . ."

"I do!"

"Okay . . ."

They both shut up then, as the previews ended and the move started.

-(-o-)-

They exited the movie theatre room, both thoroughly dissapointed.

"Man . . . That was . . ." Marik started, struggling for words.

"A God awful movie?" Bakura suggested, yawning and stretching.

"Not completely!" Marik defended. "I didn't guess who the wolf was! At all! I mean, when we found out . . . Woah!" He laughed slightly, and Bakura just rolled his eyes.

"There wasn't enough blood, and I don't like romance stories."

"Ah well," Marik shrugged, and he smiled up at Bakura as he tossed the trash into the trashcan, before shoving his hands in his pockets and making his way over to Marik.

"Wait Marik," Bakura said, as the boy headed towards the exit. "Let's . . . Let's not go yet," Bakura said softly, before turning his back on Marik and heading towards a bench. He sat down on the cushioned seat, as Marik joined him shortly.

"You don't want to give up your body just yet," Marik stated wisely, and Bakura scowled.

"Maybe . . ." Marik rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Bakura, it's quite obvious."

"Ass. . ." But Bakura wasn't arguing, and that spoke for itself. Bakura scanned the room, before jumping up from the bench. Marik blinked at him, before he reached forward and grabbed Marik by the wrist, dragging the startled boy into a brightly flashing room labeled the Arcade.

"Bakura, what are we doing in here?" Marik questioned, and Bakura could've facepalmed at the boy's stupidity.

"Jeez. . . Let's just play some games!"

"With what money?"

Bakura looked at Marik, and his eyes traveled down to Marik's pant's pocket.

"Aw! Dammit, Bakura, that's not fair!" Marik whined, pulling his hand out of Bakura's grasp and crossing his arms across his chest.

Bakura snorted. "Fine then. I'll just use this guy's wallet," he sniggered at Marik's expression, as it battled between giving in, and letting a complete stranger be robbed while he was not even aware of anything.

Sighing, Marik pulled out his own wallet, scowling angrily at Bakura, before he popped some money into the change machine. Splitting the quarters in half, he poured some of the tokens into Bakura's hand. He pocketed his own, and wandered around the arcade as Bakura dashed off.

Marik spotted the crane machine, and moved over towards it. For some ungodly reason, even though he sucked something awful, Marik always tried. Frowning, he pushed some of his blonde bangs from his face, and his lavender eyes scanned over top the heads of all the plushies, before it came to stop on one.

It was a chibi version of the Winged Dragon of Ra; Marik's favorite Duel Monster card.

Of course, it was also one of the Duel Monsters carved onto his back . . .

Shaking those thoughts from his head, he popped a few quarters into the machine, and began to swivel the joystick, positioning it just perfectly, before punching the button with his thumb. His tongue poked out of his lips as he watched the claw descend at an agonizing pace, before finally it slid shut around the Dragon's head. He watched with bated breath as it tugged at the toy, lifting it up, before completely dropping it before it reached the final destination.

Slumping in defeat, Marik decided to try again. He shoved in more quarters, and failed. He tried several more times, but was completely unsuccesful. Frowning, he turned away, just to bump into the chest of the man Bakura was inhabiting.

"B-Bakura?" Marik yelped, hoping that it was still the albino spirit in possession of the body.

"Yeah," Bakura smirked, turning to look around Marik. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, before he suddenly released the man he was possesing. Before the man could fully awaken, though, he touched his fingers to the man's eyelids, shutting them and making the man fall asleep where he stood.

"What're you doing?" Marik hissed, glairng angrily at the spirit before him. Bakura just cocked an eyebrow, before turning to the machine.

"Try again. For the stuffed animal you want."

"It's no good, I suck-"

"I said try again!" Bakura snapped, his teeth baring as he glared at Marik. The blonde blinked in surprise, before scowling.

"Ask nicely and maybe I will!"

"Marik, I'm in spirit form," the ghost pointed out, a smug sound to his voice as he saw Marik's face flush as he realized that people were staring at him with something near concern. He could also see their eyes were darting to the man Bakura had put to sleep . . .

Giving in, Marik stepped forward, inserted his quarters, and aimed for the Winged Dragon of Ra. He didn't even really put all of his effort into it. He knew he would fail anyways. So, positioning it over the Dragon, he hit the button, and watched as the crane fell.

At that moment, Bakura jumped into the machine, and grabbed hold of the crane. Marik's jaw dropped, as Bakura held the Dragon aloft in the crane's claw grip, before dropping it down into the Prize Box.

Bending down to retrieve it, Marik pulled out the Dragon in time to see Bakura leap back into the man's body. Bakura smirked at Marik's expression, as his eyes darted from the plushie clasped in his hands, and the grinning man before him.

After a few moments, Marik stammered a thanks, before giving Bakura the rest of his quarters.

"You're not going to play anymore?" Bakura questioned with a frown, his fist closing over the quarters.

"No, I'll just watch," Marik said softly, holding the Winged Dragon in close to him.

"Nah . . . I'm bored with these games now anyway," Bakura snorted, before shoving the quarters into Marik's pocket.

"Fine, fine," Marik laughed, and they exited the Arcade.

"MARIK!" A voice yelled, and Bakura's head snapped up in surprise as he saw a flustered Tea running towards them. He could've screamed from the frustration he felt!

"T-Tea?" Marik squeaked, watching the brunette run up to him. She was wearing a baby blue dress that went to her knees, with little decorations going along the edges of it. White sandals were on her feet, and she had a purse on her shoulders. She was sweating and dishevled though, as she stopped, resting her hands on her thighs as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Ah. . . Gosh . . . I didn't know if you'd be here anymore, but I figured I'd try! Since my phone died and I couldn't text you and . . ." She looked up, blue eyes shimmering with apologies. "Oh, I didn't mean to stand you up!" She straightened immediatly, fixing him with her gaze. "I really didn't! It's just, I was at Yugi's and the project, and then his grandfather got really sick and was throwing up! Then we had to rush him to the hospital and-" Tea stopped then, as Marik had held up his hand.

"It's okay, Tea," he gave a nervous laugh. "Is uh . . . Is Yugi's grandpa okay?"

"Oh, yes!" Tea yelped. "He's fine. Just got sick is all . . . It's just . . . Again, I am so sorry!"

"Like I said," Marik continued, "it's fine. I met a friend of mine here." Marik motioned at Bakura, who just shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring angirly at Tea. She blinked a few times, before looking from one to the other, and then her eyes traveled to the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Oh" was all she said, as she dropped her flustered look, and a new look was coming over.

"Oh?" Marik questioned, drawing his eyebrows together.

"I just . . . You don't really like me, do you?" Tea asked softly, eyes flitting back and forth between the two dark skinned boys. "You like . . . um . . . men?"

Marik let out a loud noise of protest, before his hands balled into fists.

"No! Gross!" Marik snarled, and Bakura just arched his eyebrows, clearly amused. "Gods, no. We're just friends. . . And Tea," Marik's voice softened, and Bakura was surprised to see how mature and gentle Marik could seem. The boy reached out a tan hand, and laid it lightly on Tea's shoulder. She flushed slightly, before looking into Marik's calming face. "I do like you. I'd like to arrange another date; to make up for this one." He gave her a pacifying smile, and Tea was soon nodding.

Bakura snorted, thinking she looked stupid.

Marik shot him a warning glare.

Tea didn't notice any of it.

"O-Okay, Marik . . ." She smiled softly. "I really am sorry, though," she continued, but Marik just shook his head. "Fine, fine," Tea laughed slightly, "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

And with a turn of a heel and a wave, Tea dissappeared out the doorway.

Marik's smile faded as soon as she was gone, and he sighed in relief, before clutching his Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Ah. . . Thanks again, Bakura," Marik said, and his eyes roamed over the body the spirit was in possesion of. Then he noticed something.

_That's strange . . ._Marik thought. _Wasn't the strangers eyes lavender, not red?_

He thought about asking Bakura about it, but just then the spirit had released the man, and he quickly jumped forward, gripping Marik's arm as he pulled the boys towards the door. The man's eyes snapped open, and he locked gazes with Marik, before the blonde quickly turned away, following Bakura's ghostly form out the door . . .

-(-o-)-

**Ahaa, when I say 'coke', I suppose I should explain. . . Um, I live down South, and there's a joke that we always call everything 'coke' even Sweet Tea. . . so this is coke, as opposed to Coke, the actual brand.**

**This chapter was inspired by the fact that I won seven stuffed animals from crane machines tonight at an arcade . . . Heehee . . . **

**And I know how you people feel about Tea. I hate her, but I didn't want to bash her, and over all it's really not her fault . . . xD **

**And it is HARD to write Bakura . . . Don't wanna make him to fluffy and to nice, but if he's to mean, there's no way this would be Thiefshipping. . . . Hn.**

**That should be all. . .**

**Oh, yes. As for the link in the previous chapter. If you type in into your brower, then copy and paste what did let me post, then it shall take thee to the picture of ze Marik. Why are my author notes way to friggn' LONG?**

**Please review, ask questions, criticize, I don't care . . . Just, feedback is nice.**

**Seeya!**

**(Did you guys figure out who it was Bakura possessed? And what was going on at the end?)**


	10. Chapter 10: The New Kid Bakura

Marik strolled into his History class, walking to his desk in the back of the room. Bakura floated along behind him, hands in his pockets as he waited for Marik to sit, before hopping onto the boy's desk. Marik scowled at him, but said nothing.

A slow trickle of students came in, before finally the whole class was in.

Someone else walked in, and Marik's jaw dropped.

It was a man with white hair to his shoulders, and tanned skin. A cut went beneath one of his eyes; pink and giving off the appearance of old pain. He was wearing the school uniform, and Marik's History teacher, Mr. Scott, was standing behind him, ready to introduce him.

The man-well, boy apparently-let his scarlet eyes scan the room, taking everything in. Mr. Scott stepped forward then, and gave a reassuring smile to the boy, who just gave a sneer in return.

"Well, class," Mr. Scott said, shuffling his papers, "this is Akefia Touzouku. Please welcome him." Mr. Scott turned to mutter something to Akefia, as Marik turned an incredulous stare to Bakura.

Bakura just shrugged. "We're not related," he explained, before letting his eyes roam back over Touzouku, who was slouched slightly with his hands in his pockets. Gears started turning in Bakura's head, as he watched Touzouku avidly.

Eventually, the tanned man was allowed to step away from Mr. Scott, and he made his way back towards Marik, where he slumped into the seat next to him.

"You. . . Were at the movie theatre last night . . ." Touzouku said, turning his crimson gaze onto Marik, mistrust glittering there. Marik said nothing, just kept his gaze split between the whittete, and the board where Mr. Scott was writing down their new assignment.

Marik also didn't see Bakura sneaking around behind, since the spirit had decided to make himself invisible. He grinned, as he moved behind Touzoku.

"Either way. . . That teacher said you are to show me around." Touzouku scowled at Marik. "I'm to shadow you." Marik nodded slowly, keeping his gaze on Touzouku as he reached blindly for his History book beneath his desk. He saw the whittete do an odd little jerk, and Marik straightened his back up, watching the boy.

"Touzouku. . .?" He questioned softly, trying to not attract attention. Marik's hand shot to the Millinium Ring, where he clutched the golden item tightly. Then he noticed Bakura was missing. A sinking feeling came onto him, as he watched Touzouku straighten up, before smirking at Marik.

"Touzouku isn't here right now, Marik," the man let out in a croaky voice, and Marik scowled.

"Bakura!" He hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Touzouku's eyebrows rose, and he studied his fingernails. "Well, I do believe it is called possesing."

"I know that!" Marik snarled. "I mean . . . You can't just. . . Y'know! You have to release him," Marik finished, just as Mr. Scott cleared his throat. He sent a meaningful look to Marik, who sighed in frustration, before pulling out a text book.

"Ah! Oh no!" Bakura cried out theatrically. "It appears I don't have a book. Why, Marik, could I share with you?" Marik groaned in disbelief, but Bakura just chuckled, before scooting his chair over to Marik's desk. He put his elbow on Marik's desk, before leaning against the palm of his hand.

"Bakura," Marik muttered now that they were closer. "You really should let him go! This is his school life you're messing wi-"

"Would you rather see Touzouku then me?" Bakura questioned, leveling his gaze with Marik's. Marik stuttered for a moment, before scowling angrily at the boy. He just decided to ignore the question, and he set to work on his classwork.

Bakura didn't say anything for the rest of class, but as soon as the bell rang, he jumped up, and gripped Touzouku's backpack. He shoved his hands in his pockets, before turning to a furious Marik.

"What?" Bakura smirked, exiting the door with Marik. Exasperated, Marik said nothing; he only walked side by side with Bakura until they entered their English class. Tea spotted Marik immediatly, and rushed over to him. She hugged him, smiling warmly at him, as Marik flushed.

"I heard there was a new kid have you seen . . ." Tea stopped as she saw Bakura-or, technically, Touzouku. "Oh, hello . . ." Tea clearly remembered Touzouku's appearance from the movie night, and she extended her hand slowly.

Bakura smirked, before taking the hand, shaking it firmly. He then let go of her, before reaching over and smacking Marik in the ass.

"Get a move on, girlie," he sniggered, as Marik yelped and lurched away from Bakura, glaring at him with an accusatory stare. Tea's face flushed for a moment, and Bakura could tell it was partially from embarrasment, and the rest from anger.

"D-Dammit Bakura!" Marik snarled, before he realized his mistake. He clenched his teeth, but Tea had paused, before letting her eyes roam over to Touzouku's body; which had gone rigid.

"Bakura. . . . Wasn't that the name of some kid who died?" She asked, suspicion clouding her blue eyes.

"Um . . . We didn't know that. . ." Marik mumbled. "Bakura is just a nickname." Tea didn't look convinced, but she decided to shrug it off.

"Okay, then . . . Will you sit by me today?" Tea questioned shyly, and Marik returned the smile, though his was more awkward then anything.

"Sure. . ."

"Don't mind if I join, do you?" Bakura interrupted, a smirk stretching his features as he watched Tea with cold eyes. She returned the look, before nodding slowly, offering a shrug as well.

"Sure . . ." Tea then slipped her hand around Marik's, and they both walked over to the edge of the classroom. Their English class was fairly easy. They were just reading a story, taking turns with reading it aloud.

Bakura had Marik's in fits of laughter all throughout class as, everytime he came time for him to read, he'd jump up and put his foor on a chair, holding his book aloft as he recited the words in a lofty tone.

"Jeez. . . You have to much confidence in yourslef," Marik mumbled, letting his laughter die in his throat as Bakura took his seat, and it was now Marik's turn to read.

"_Ore-sama?_" Bakura sniggered. "To confident? Never." Marik just rolled his eyes, before reading his few paragraphs. Yugi and Tea were in their group as well, though they were much like Marik; they just read their lines and didn't add anything extra.

The bell rang, just as they finished the chapter they'd been working on.

"Lunch time!" Tea called, before turning to Marik.

"Just go on ahead without me," Marik said. "I need to pack up some stuff."

"Okay," Tea smiled. "We'll be at the usual table." She gave a wave, before turning away. Yugi tailed along behind her, though he was cupping his Millinium Puzzle in his hands, pressing his ear close to the gold with a frown creasing his face.

Bakura watched them go, before looking to Marik. Marik pretended to busy himself with his stuff, until their English teacher shooed them out of the classroom. He saw that the hallway was empty, and turned to Bakura.

"Bakura, you need to release him." Tanned hands flew to their owner's hips as purple eyes glared up at Bakura's face.

"Why should I?" Bakura snarled angrily, glaring at Marik. "What harm's it going to do, anyways?"

"A lot of harm! You're taking over somebody else's life, and you don't know a thing about them!" Marik hissed.

"So what? We're having fun! You can finally talk to me in public, too. . ."

"A stupid reason like that," Marik deadpanned, "is reason enough for you to do something like this?" Bakura glowered, not at all liking the tone in Marik's voice.

"Look, I'll release him after school! No harm no foul!" Bakura held up his hands, grinning at Marik, hoping to lighten the mood. Marik wouldn't be deterred so easily.

"It's just not right, Bakura," Marik droned on, disaproval written all over his face.

Bakura snarled, before pushing past Marik. He stalked down the hallway, and he heard Marik's footsteps behind him as the blonde tried to keep up. Touzouku had a much bigger stride then the smaller boy.

"Look, Bakura, you already had your chance at life! It's time for you to let others have their cha-" Marik had started to say that, except for a fist collided with the side of his face. He gasped in pain as he fell to his butt, staring, bewildered, up at an angry Bakura. Marik's hand flitted up to his face, and he could feel a large bruise forming there. It stung to the touch, and Marik knew, from experience, that it would be there for quite some time.

"Don't bring up my death," Bakura hissed. "I had my chance. . ." the spirit spat, before lurching forward, hands curling up into fists again. Marik didn't move, though, he just kept his hand on his face, staring up into those blazing eyes.

"I had my fucking chance all right! But it's not like I did something stupid to where I deserved to die!" He snarled. Marik frowned, but still remained silent. He stood up slowly, keeping his hand to his face. It felt like it was pulsing with pain beneath his palm.

"Look . . . I didn't say it was your fault," Marik said, but he spoke in an awkward way. He was attempting to keep his jaw stationary, since it felt like somebody was stabbing it everytime he tried to move it. "But . . ." Marik continued, "it's not Touzouku's fault either."

Bakura's fist curled up again, and Marik saw them, before letting out a harsh laugh. Blinking in surprise, Bakura watched as Marik lowered his hand away from his-sure enough-bruised jaw.

"Oh, please, Bakura," Marik smirked, "hit me agian. You think you can hurt me? You're just a little _bitch___compared to my father." Bakura paused, wondering if Marik was finally going to open up. . . .

But then Marik started walking, heading towards the cafeteria.

"Wait . . . Wha-?" Bakura stomped after Marik, who talked to him without stopping or turning his head in the slightest.

"Look, you wanna keep that body, fine . . ." Marik shrugged. "It's not like I can physically drag you out of there." Bakura smirked. "But you need to be extra careful . . ."

"Whatever," Bakura grunted, and soon a wall of noise hit them as they neared the cafeteria. They entered it, and saw Tea sitting at a table, fidgeting nervously as she kept looking around. She spotted Marik then, and let out a cry before dashing over to him. She hugged him around the waist, before looking into his face.

"Oh my gosh!" She yelped, her fingers dancing lightly over his bruise. Bakura scowled as he saw Marik wince slightly from it. "Do you need me to get some ice for it?Who. . . Who did it?"

Marik sighed, before just shaking his head. He looked to Bakura.

"I just fell and busted my face on the table," Marik said simply, and Tea believed it.

"Oh, jeez! You've gotta be more careful, Marik!" She squealed, giving him an almost exasperated look.

"Yeah . . . I'm going to go get some lunch, okay?" Marik said, and Tea nodded before heading away. Bakura snorted, before Marik glared at him.

They headed up to the line together, but Bakura paused at the line. He didn't have any money. . . Sighing, he shoved his hands in his pockets, preparing to wait for Marik. Marik saw him, though, and walked over to him. Marik gripped the sleeve of his blue jacket, before dragging him over to the line.

"Marik, I don't have any mone-" Bakura started, but Marik just crossed his arms, ignoring Bakura completely until they got up to the actual food. Marik looked at him, before grabbing a tray.

"Tell me what you eat, and I'll grab some," Marik said, and Bakura did as commanded. Unsuprisingly, he chose all meats. Marik curled his lip in disgust, but payed for the food. He carried the tray over to where Tea and Yugi sat, before plonking the tray down in the seat next to him, where Bakura sat.

"Wha-?" Bakura started, but Marik just pointed at the food. Understanding, Bakura muttered a quick thanks, before he began to rip into the food, savoring each and every bite as the juices erupted in his mouth. Gods it felt amazing feeling the sweet morsels sliding over his tongue that he hadn't had in two years . . .

Marik watched with mild interest, as Tea watched the blonde nervously.

"Are you not going to eat?" She questioned, giving him a worried look.

"Ah . . . Um, no," Marik said, and he saw Bakura pause for a moment, before returning to eating.

"Okay then. . ."

Ishizu walked up then, before sitting down in the seat across from Bakura. She looked at him with mild interest, as Kaiba sat next to her, clearly annoyed at all the people that were crowded around.

"A new friend?" Ishizu asked, studying Bakura.

"Yeah," Marik mumbled. "This is Akefia Touzouku." Bakura sniggered a little, finishing his food as he shoved the tray away a little.

"Well, nice to meet you," Ishizu smiled softly, extending her hand to Touzouku. Bakura stared at her hand, before taking it into his own.

"The pleasure is all mine," he smirked, and Marik rolled his eyes. Ishizu giggled a little, and Kaiba's eyes narrowed. Marik jumped up.

"C'mon, Touzouku, I need to show you where our next class!" Marik didn't even wait for Bakura's response, he just grabbed Bakura's arm, and dragged the boy away from the table.

"What the hell, Marik?" Bakura questioned as they reached the exit of the cafeteria.

Marik scowled at him. "Be careful what you say. Do you really want Kaiba angry with you?" Bakura thought about it, then he remembered Kaiba storming in and saving Marik when he, Bakura, could've done it himself. He scowled a little, before nodding savagely.

Deciding to ignore this, Marik marched Bakura to their usual spot, before they plopped down on the tile.

"So . . ." Marik said softly, studying Bakura. "How does it feel being back in your old school?"

Bakura smirked. "Tell me something about yourself, first. I'm tired of always answering your questions, but getting nothing in return."

Marik looked like he was going to argue for a minute, but then he stopped, sighed, and nodded slowly. "What do you wanna know?"

Blinking in surprise, Bakura asked, "Well . . . Um. . . How did you get those carvings on your back?" Marik went stick straight, and he bit his lip, obviously not wanting to share this with anybody.

Bakura thought he wouldn't share, and sighed, shifting so his legs didn't fall asleep. But then, Marik spoke.

"Well. . . . When I was little," Marik began, his voice quiet, "my father was drunk one night. . . And no one else was home so . . . He was looking at Duel Monster cards with me, and we were laughing, and having a good time. And I told him my favorite card was the Winged Dragon of Ra. He said, 'oh', and then began to stare at me. Well, after that, I told him how I'd love to have the power of the three God cards, and become the Pharaoh so I could protect our family.

"Well," Marik sighed, "then he just said 'oh' again. After a few minutes, he pulled the cards from my hands, and he grabbed me. He tied me up with some old sheets, and he took off my shirt, before he laid me down on the couch. He gagged me, before taking a knife and heating it over a candle. Then he carved-" Marik's voice broke for a moment. "Then he carved the three God cards onto my back . . ."

Bakura stared for a moment, before nodding slowly. "May I ask why?"

Marik gave a harsh laugh. "Well, turns out what my dear mommy didn't tell us was that my father was technically insane, and he hadn't taken his medication."

"Well, why weren't Ishizu and Melvin there to help you?"

"Because," the blonde's gaze was staring at the ground now, "she took them away so they wouldn't be hurt." Bakura paused for a moment, before blinking a few times.

"Why not . . .?"

"Why not me?" Marik lifted his gaze, and Bakura could see a cold, detatched look had come over it. "Because my father requested I stay. See, my dad got along better with me then the others, so my mother figured maybe he wouldn't hit me so much. Actually," Marik let out a dark chuckle, "d'you know _why_ he said he carved them onto my back?"

Bakura hesitated, before nodding.

"Well, he said it was strengthning our bond. Said that he was giving me what I wanted. That he inserted the powers of the Gods within me." Bakura frowned, before watching Marik. The boy's eyes were cold, and those unnatural tears were leaking out of them.

Frowning, Bakura scooted closer, before awkwardly patting Marik on the back. Marik looked up, and saw that Bakura had a constipated look on his face. He sniggered a little, and his tears stopped.

"Now, answer my question," Marik commanded, looking up to Bakura.

"Well, it feels okay I suppose. Nothing's changed, except, of course, my class is gone." Bakura shrugged, and Marik gaped at him. "What?"

"You ass!" Marik laughed, jumping to his knees before swatting playfully at Bakura. "I gave you a whole story, and you barely gave me a sentence!"

"And it's my fault you felt the need to go into such detail?" Bakura smirked, catching Marik's hand. He leaned in close, as Marik scowled.

"You asked. And your breath stinks," Marik joked, wrinkling his nose. Bakura glared, before pinning Marik to the lockers.

"Oh, it does does it?" Bakura sneered, as Marik struggled playfully in his grip.

"Oh, yes!" He cried out. "It stinks so bad I just might die!" His head lolled to the side a little, and his eyelids fluttered closed.

"Maybe true love's kiss will awaken you?" Bakura said, leaning in close. Marik's eyes snapped open and he glared at Bakura.

"Don't you even think about it, pervert."

"Pervert? I am offended." Bakura chuckled. Marik rolled his eyes.

"Okay, c'mon, lemme go. These lockers aren't exactly comfortable, y'know!"

Bakura released Marik, and the bell rang, loud and clear. Jumping up, the two boys headed off to class.

-(-o-)-

"Ah~," Ms. Valentine cried, clasping her hands to her chest as she saw Bakura enter her room. "Another cute new student!" She giggled, before heading over to him. Marik laughed at Bakura's expression, before looking to Ms. Valentine. It was nice to see her happy and smiling again.

Bakura was directed to a seat next to Marik after introductions were made.

"Okay, class. Today we have partner work." Ms. Valentine stood at the front of the class. "See, now that we're nearing testing time, we don't really have that many lesson plans, other then studying." She shrugged. "So we Biology teachers go together, and decided that you students will raise an animal. You will also observe it and take notes on it in a journal."

Several students were whispering exitedly, and Marik could see Joey slump over in his desk, obviously dreading this assignment.

"You'll be drawing animals from this," Ms. Valentine reached over to her desk and scooped up a little kitten jar. "Now, choose your teams."

Bakura immediatly looked to Marik, who smirked.

"Oh, I think we need to go find partners, Bakura," Marik said, standing up. Bakura wrapped an arm around Marik's waist, though, and pulled him in close.

"Listen you little shit," Bakura snarled, "you're partnering with me. Got it?" Marik's eyebrows rose, and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course, master," he sighed, before glaring down at Bakura's arms. "Now unhand me, fiend." Bakura's cheeks flushed for a moment, and he quickly released Marik. The blonde sank into his chair, before scooting it over to Bakura's, signifying that they were teammates. All around the room, other children were doing the same.

"All right!" Ms. Valentine exclaimed. "Time to choose!" She walked down the aisleways, heels clicking as she let each team pull out a slip of paper. She reached Marik and Bakura, and let the latter stick his hand into the pot. He retrieved a slip, before scanning it. He quickly crumpled it up, and shoved it in his pocket.

"What the hell?" Marik hissed, as Ms. Valentine clacked away.

"What?" Bakura questioned, feining innocence.

"Don't you think I wanted to know what animal we're studying?"

"Nah."

"You fucking little-"

"Marik," Ms. Valentine's voice interrupted. Marik's face heated up, and he quickly sat down. "Thank-you. Now, as I was saying, we're heading to the classroom next door, where the animals are being kept. Everyone up, now." The class was soon standing, chattering exitedly as Ms. Valentine hearded her class to the new classroom, where a variety of cages were.

The room was massive, and there was plenty of space in each designated area, where multiple tools were set out to expierement with the animals. Two journals were at each station too.

"Go to your animals, now," Ms. Valentine commanded, and kids shot forward to their assigned cages. Marik sat there stupidly, until Bakura dragged him over to a cage. Marik took one look inside and let out a strangled cry.

A vivid green serpent lay within, curled around a branch. Its pink tongue flicked lazily from within its mouth. Bakura let out a noise of approval, not even noticing that Marik was shaking next to him.

Bakura looked down to the instructions written out. They were propped up against the cage, and he reached out a hand, snagging them as he rifled through them, letting his eyes scan them quickly as he took in what they said.

"Says here that this is a female garter snake. We're to name her, and take care of her, and observe how she reacts to different things." Bakura looked up then to Marik, who was still shivering. He arched an eyebrow.

"Marik, you okay?" Bakura asked, and Marik jerked his head towards him, and Bakura could see fear hidden in their depths. Bakura sighed, before scowling. "Are you scared of snakes?" Marik nodded slowly. "Dammit, Marik!"

"Well ex-fucking-scuse me!" Marik yelped, his voice high pitched as he rounded on Bakura. The whittete merely blinked, before looking to the snake.

"I can't excuse you," Bakura replied, before he leaned down, crinkling his nose at the snake. "I mean, why would you be scared of her? She's a beautiful little thing she is," Bakura had a slightly crazed look on his face, and Marik shuddered. "Now, what're we gonna name her?" he asked.

"How about Odjit, for wicked?" Marik hissed, and Bakura gave him an exasperated look.

"Jeez. . . This's been a long day, and I don't feel like arguing with you over a name, so let's just call her Emerald and end this." Bakura picked up a black journal, leaving the purple one for Marik. He scribbled down what they named her.

Marik reached forward, to do the same, but he saw that the journals were close to Emerald's cage. He let out an undignified squeak, before hopping back a little. Bakura's eyebrows rose, and he studied Marik.

"Honestly," he sighed, before dragging Marik bag to the table. "C'mon, don't be such a pussy." He saw Marik scowl, and he smirked. "That's right. I knew ya were to much of a girl to even bother going near a snake." Marik was slowly getting angrier. "A sissy like you could never do something like that, after all."

Marik's hand shot forward, and he grabbed the journal, before using it to hit Bakura. He didn't get the chance too, though, as Bakura grabbed the hand clasped around the journal, and pulled the struggling blonde boy into him, putting his other arm around Marik's waist. Bakura smirked, as Marik stood there, panting, glaring hatefully up at Marik.

"Wonderful," Bakura smirked.

"You ass! How dare you say all of that stuff and then touch me!" Marik hissed, struggling more. Bakura rolled his eyes.

"I made you get your journal, though, didn't I?" He smirked as he saw Marik's anger falter for a moment, and the boy went lax in his grip.

"Oh. . ." was all the boy said, and he looked up at Bakura. "Well . . . Thanks . . ." Bakura chuckled, before nodding. Ms. Valentine walked over then, though, and smirked.

"All right, all right. No PDA, remember?" She giggled, seeing Marik's face flush as he started fighting in Bakura's grasp again. Snorting, Bakura released Marik, before turning to Ms. Valentine.

"Well, please excuse us, madam," he grinned, bowing slightly, as Marik huffed angrily next to him.

"Whatever. I just came over here to tell you to pack up." She strutted away, though Marik could've sworn she sent a devious grin over her shoulder at them. Marik growled, before writing down his summary of the day. He plopped down the journal, and glared angirly at Bakura.

"Oh, relax," Bakura said.

"You made us look like complete and utter-"

"Fags?" Bakura interrupted, grinning at Marik's angry face. "So what?" he shrugged. "You're dating Tea, anyways, right?" Cackling at Marik's angry face, he leaned in close. "So what's it matter?"

Marik sighed, before crossing his arms. "Whatever . . ."

The bell rang, then, and they raced out of the classroom, heading out the door and onto the sidewalk. He and Bakura walked side by side down the street, before Marik finally turned to look at Bakura.

"Aren't you going to release him yet?" He asked. "Touzouku, I mean."

"Yeah . . . I guess I should. . . Let's get you home first though," Bakura answered, and Marik nodded slowly. So, down the street they went, until they neared Marik's house.

"You should release him here. I don't want him knowing where I live," Marik said, crinkling his nose. Bakura nodded, and left Touzouku's body. The spirit shot forward, gripped Marik's arm, and he and the blonde boy took off. Marik turned to look back, and saw Touzouku watching him, a confused look on his face.

Then Marik noticed it. . .

The scar beneath his eye was gone . . .

-(-o-)-

**Man, on several occasions while writing this (though not quite sure why) I kept imagining Marik with his Singapore voice, and I kept having to mentally smack myself and be like "No! No! Think of the Japanese!" Lol. Cuz, I watch the American Yu-Gi-Oh! most of the time, but I've watched the Japanese a little too, and I HATE Marik's English voice. . .**

**But then again, I HATE Bakura's (yami) Japanese voice. So, give and take give and take.**

**Ah well. . . I feel kind of bad for Touzouku, since he's not going to really be in the story at all. . . Just his body . . . Hn. And Bakura was telling the truth. They're not related.**

**Wonder if anybody can guess it now, since there's a new little clue in there, as to what's going on with Touzouku's body.**

**Seeya!**


	11. Chapter 11: Kaiba's Visit

Saturday morning rolled in, and Marik was so happy that he'd get to sleep in.

But, of course, that plan was ruined, since Bakura woke him up by pelting him with various objects around the room. Marik let out groans, as he coccooned himself within his blankets, seeking refuge from the spirit.

Bakura cackled loudly, until a livid Melvin practically busted down Marik's door.

"Goddammit!" Melvin bellowed, stomping over to Marik's bed. He grabbed Marik bodily, still wrapped in his cover, and carried the boy over to the stairs, where he promptly tossed him down the staircase.

Marik let out a few cries as he bounced down the stairs. It wasn't nearly as bad as he imagined, though, since his thick blankets protected him. He hit the last step, though, and was quickly sent rolling across the floor, his blanket unraveling behind him.

"Next time keep that damned spirit of yours in check!" Melvin snarled, before stomping back to his room. Bakura appeared at the top of the stairs then, and floated down to Marik. He apprehinsivly landed next to the boy, before lifting his arm to Marik's shoulder. The caramel skin quivered beneath him, and Bakura retracted his arm. He felt annoyed since, yesterday, he'd been able to touch Marik as he'd pleased.

Marik stood up, though, and straightened out his pajama bottoms. He sighed, before stretching slightly. Out of no where, though, something smacked him hard in the back of the head, and a cranky Melvin glared down at him.

"Your damn phone and your damn spirit and your just damned you! Damn you!" Melvin yelled, before Ishizu kept up behind him and whacked him in the head.

"Why're you two so loud in the morning! Some of us are trying to sleep!" She yelled, though Marik could see her phone clasped tightly in her hand. Melvin noticed it as well. He sneered, before lifting his gaze up to her.

"Sleep, huh? Is that what you girls are calling that nowadays?" Melvin smirked at Ishizu's flushed face, as she stammered for a moment. Melvin snatched the phone from her hand, and quickly flicked through the text messages.

Melvin burst into loud guffaws, as he scanned each one, holding the phone up high as Ishizu grabbed desperatly for it.

" 'Oh, Kaiba, you're so funny. I can't wait to see you again on Monday! You were so sweet in the library on Friday!'. Oh, our sweet sister dear has dirty little secrets! What were you doing in the library, exactly?" Melvin had a look that would've been dissaproving, had a large grin not been cracking the effect.

"That's not funny, Melvin!" Ishizu screeched, reaching for her phone. Marik and Bakura just stood at the bottom of the staircase, exchaning incredulous looks. Bakura, however, felt slightly pleased that Kaiba had been 'sweet' to Ishizu. That meant he wasn't after Marik.

Bakura frowned at that. Why should he care about that? Shaking those thoughts from his head, he looked to Marik, who was bundling up his covers. Ishizu had walked away, then, and Marik and Bakura made their way up the stairs.

They were wrong, though, in thinking that Ishizu had given up. For, just as Melvin turned his back, Ishizu had made her way to the back of the hall. She had crouched low, like a bull, and Bakura saw what was about to happen.

Ishizu ran forward, and did a sort of flying tackle that surprised everyone, apparently even Ishizu, as she knocked into Melvin's head, taking her brother with her to the floor as she then proceeded to wrestle with him on the floor. Bakura had circled an arm around Marik, pulling the bronze boy closer to the wall as to avoid his sister.

Upon seeing that Ishizu hadn't come anywhere near Marik, Bakura felt his face flush as Marik arched a blonde eyebrow at the spirit. He chuckled softly, before walking through the ghost, and to his room. He tossed his blanket in, before flipping open his cellphone.

So the message that had caused a painful throbbing in the back of his head was just Tea saying 'good morning'? Awesome . . . .

He padded down the stairs, ignoring his fighting siblings, before he went and made a bowl of cereal. Bakura just watched him through it all, deciding not to interfere anymore.

For a while, anyways.

There was a few thunks from further in the house, and Melvin skidded into the kitchen. He was panting, but a smirk was on his face as he cast another look at the phone.

"That prick's comin' here!" Melvin cackled, wiggling the phone in front of Marik's face, and Bakura made himself visibile. At least for once, it seemed, Melvin had no intentions of messing with Marik.

"That's none of your business!" They heard Ishizu cry, as she tromped into the room, finally able to snatch her phone from Melvin's unsuspecting grasp. Melvin grumbled, but Ishizu turned on her heel, stalking angrily away.

"It is too," Melvin muttered mutinously. "It's our damn house. . ." The eldest Ishtar male disappeared, though. Marik and Bakura were left in merciful silence, and Marik turned to Bakura, who was grinning.

"Interesting family you have, Ishtar," Bakura chuckled, and Marik scowled.

"It started because you can't behave!" Marik accused, shoving his last spoonful into his mouth. The spirit rolled his eyes.

"You know you love it," he teased, before pausing. For some reason, a little squirming started in his stomach, and he wanted to find out Marik's response. He'd noticed these feelings had started when he'd had his unintentional date with Marik, and going to school with him the other day had been an even better example.

To his disapointment, Marik just snorted.

The doorbell rang, then, and Ishizu came racing down the stairs. Marik saw a glimpse of her with a light blue, long sleeved dress that went to her ankles. She fiddled with her hair a little bit, before she snapped open the door.

Kaiba stood there, looking slightly awkward. A long white trenchcoat covered a tight black outfit. His brown hair fluttered in the wind a little, and the corners of his mouth twitched in what Marik supposed was the closest he'd ever gotten to a smile.

Ishizu welcomed him warmly, and Kaiba stepped in. He seemed to notice Marik standing there, and gave a curt nod to the blonde. Marik returned the gesture. Melvin stomped down the stairs then, and he eyed Kaiba with distaste.

"So you're the one she's cybering with?" Melvin questioned, without even a hint of embarrasment or regret. It was as if he was asking about the weather. Ishizu's mouth dropped and her face flushed. Bakura burst into a fit of laughter(he had made himself only visible to Marik). Marik merely groaned and put his forehead into the palm of his hand.

Kaiba stared at Melvin, before he snorted derisivly.

"Ishizu and I are friends."

"Friends with benefits," Melvin said, wagging his eyebrows. Marik wished he didn't fear his brother so much, because he had a strong urge to throttle him. Especially seeing his usually calm sister shaking with her eyes wide open.

"I am afraid to inform you that not all males are vulgar, crass beings such as yourself." Kaiba replied in a flat voice, and Marik and Bakura exchanged grins. Melvin, however, just glared. He gave a derisive snort, before turning his back on Kaiba.

"Kaiba . . . I'm sorry," Ishizu started, but Kaiba held up a hand.

"No." A smirk overtook his features. "There is no need for you to apologize for such a pig who can't speak more words then a child." Melvin twitched, and he whirled around, but Marik stepped forward. Ishizu was already horrified as it is, he didn't need Melvin throttling the first boy Marik had ever seen her take a fancy for.

Melvin snarled at him, but he wasn't going to stop. He reared back his fists. Marik clenched his eyes shut, and Bakura went to move forward, to stop the attack. But Kaiba flashed in before him, gripping Melvin's fist and twisting it around. He slammed Melvin face first into the carpet, before jamming his knee into Melvin's back.

Marik's eyes snapped open, and both he and Ishizu gasped. Kaiba scowled angrily at Melvin, who was writhing beneath him.

"Be gone, miserable dog," Kaiba snarled, before releasing Melvin and shoving him away with a well aimed kick. Melvin yelped, before stumbling to the stairs. Kaiba sneered, before turning to Marik, not seeing a furious Bakura.

"Well . . . Thanks," Marik muttered, slightly owl-eyed as he stared up at Kaiba. The brunette just grunted, before turning to Ishizu.

"You needed help with your Algebra?" He asked her, and she gave a tiny nod.

"Marik," Ishizu turned to him, blue eyes wide and imploring. She obviously didn't like the thought of being alone. "Don't you need help with your Algebra too?" Marik nodded slightly, and Kaiba just turned his back to them, letting Ishizu lead them up the stairs. The eldest Ishtar paused as she turned to look at Marik.

"I'll be up in a minute," the tanned boy promised, for he had just noticed Bakura's face twisted in fury. He didn't know why, though.

Bakura, however, was quite aware of his anger. He was angry at Kaiba. Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba! Bakura was supposed to be the one who protected Marik from Melvin, looking cool when he saved the poor boy, just to tease him for it afterwards. He reveled in seeing that tanned skin turn a rosy color. And, on top of that, he was the one that helped Marik study Algebra! Who the hell was Kaiba to come sweeping in with his trenchcoat and his tight suit and his . . . Stuff! Bakura didn't even have words for it anymore.

"Are you okay . . .?" Marik asked, and Bakura snarled at him.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just go up there with your _Kaiba_!" he spat, and Marik's eyebrows rose a little, crinkling the skin of his forehead.

"Okay, moody," Marik grumbled, before turning his back on the fuming spirit. He headed upstairs, where Ishizu and Kaiba were waiting for him.

-(-o-)-

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. Marik raced downstairs, where he saw Bakura sitting on the couch, still angry as hell. The blonde rolled his eyebrows, before wrenching open the door.

Akefia Touzouku stood on the porch.

He leveled his crimson gaze with Marik's.

"Marik Ishtar," Touzouku snarled, glaring angirly at the boy. Marik's mouth dropped as he stuttered for a moment.

"T-Touzouku. . . Wh-What're you doing here?" Marik yelped, and he saw Bakura jump up from the sofa, before floating over. He gazed greedily at Touzouku. Maybe Marik wouldn't be so quick to ignore him if he was in a body . . .

"Well, you tell me, Ishtar," Touzouku growled, crossing his arms. "Everytime I come aroud you, apparently, I get knocked unconcious and when I wake up my body is different!" Marik felt a faint blush creep across his face, and he felt pinpricks of guilt.

"I don't really know what you mean . . ." Marik decided to try for the innocent act. "And anyways, how did you find out where I lived?" Touzouku did an odd little jerk, and he seemed to study Marik for a moment, before lurching forward.

His hands wrapped around Marik's waist, and he pulled the boy in close. Marik let out a squeak of protest, but a diabolical laughter erupted from above him. Recognizing it at once, Marik's head snapped up, and he glared angirly at Touzouku's face.

However, it wasn't the new boy that was looking at him. Within the eyes, Marik could see Bakura looking out through him. That familiar grin worked its way across Touzouku's face, and Marik scowled.

"Bakura!" Marik hissed. "Didn't you just hear him? He's growing suspicious!" Bakura frowned, before it turned into a deep set scowl.

"Jeez, lighten up Marik," Bakura growled. "I got a body, who cares." He shrugged slightly. "Like I've said before; what harm are we causing?"

Marik gaped incredulously at him, before practically yelling, "A lot of damage! That idiot knows where I live now! And he's right, y'know," Marik continued darkly. "Something does change about his body whenever you possess it for a lengthy amount of time."

Bakura mulled over it for a minute, but just shook his head. "No way! I've possessed tons of people before, and nothing happened to them!"

"For eight our school days? For several hours during a movie?" Marik refused to say date.

"Well, no . . ." Bakura confessed, and he looked wary for a moment, but then his usual grin erupted. "But so what? A few facial tweaks! Who gives a shit! Let's have fun while I can possess him!"

Marik frowned. "I dunno. . . I'm studying with Ishizu and Kaiba, but . . ." At this, Marik seemed to remember the hands that were holding him closely. He shoved the hands away, and regarded Bakura.

Ishizu came down the stairs then, though, and saw Touzouku.

"Oh! You're Marik's friend, aren't you?" She smiled softly, before walking over to him. She shook what she thought to be Touzouku's hand, and Bakura fought every urge in him to laugh.

Kaiba peered around the corner then, and he walked over. His sapphire eyes looked sharply to Touzouku's body, and then back to Marik.

"You are the new kid, aren't you?" Kaiba questioned. "Akefia Touzouku, yes?"

"Quite obviously. Not as smart as everyone says you are, hn?" Bakura sneered, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his voice. Ishizu frowned, and looked nervously to Kaiba. Marik growled, and swatted Bakura angrily.

"Control yourself, Touzouku!" Marik snarled, finding it odd to be saying that name when he knew it was Bakura he was adressing. The spirit, in turn, look confused for a moment, in which Kaiba smirked, looking contemptuously at him.

"I see you have your dog well trained," Kaiba said, locking his gaze onto Marik.

Marik seemed startled for a moment, and Bakura's mouth snapped open. Marik, however, reached out and put a hand on Bakura's arm.

"Thank-you for your views, Kaiba," Marik said softly, "but please don't talk about my friends like that." Kaiba's eyes narrowed, but he gave a curt nod.

"So, will you be going out with Touzouku then?" Ishizu questioned. Marik thought about it, while Bakura's face heated up at the phrasing. Marik looked to the side at Bakura, who was now watching him with eager eyes. The spirit, however, quickly tried to hide this. The tanned boy gave a soft smile, before looking to Ishizu.

"Y'know, I think I will. Thanks for your help, Kaiba," Marik added, before bowing to them both. Ishizu smiled before nodding, and waved good bye before heading back up to her room. Kaiba followed, and most mercifully Melvin wasn't anywhere within hearing distance.

"You're . . . Going to hang out with me?" Bakura questioned, eyes squinting as if trying to figure out if Marik was messing with him.

"Yeah, sure, why the hell not. You're unbearable when you're bored around the house, anyways." Bakura scowled at the blonde, but Marik just winked, smirking at Bakura. The spirit felt his face heat up, as Marik turned away. "Just let me go get dressed," he called over his shoulder, and Bakura found himself slumping over onto the couch, staring at nothing in particular as he waited.

Melvin came down the stairs shortly after Marik disappeared, carrying a bag with him as he cast shifty looks around. Bakura watched him, as Melvin reached the bottom step. The spiky haired blonde looked with confusion at Bakura, but quickly just snorted an walked past him, keeping the bag in close to him.

What the hell was he up to?

-(-o-)-

**So, there's your chapter with Kaiba in it, Anamique4. = D**

**Lol.**

**Oh yes, and give a round of applause for CandyassGoth and VampirePrinssess for guessing correctly on the last question.**

**So, now I pose a new question:**

**What do you guys think Melvin is up to? (It's the reason he 'owes' Tea, by the way. xD Cuz she found out and she's keeping the secret for him.)**

**Reviews are loved!**

**Seeya!**

**(Yeah, figgered I needed to kick things up a notch, consdering this is chapter 11 and there's been virtually no Thiefshipping. T ~ T )**


	12. Chapter 12: Nature Walk

"So, how's Kaiba?"

"Fine."

"Is he better then me?"

"What?" Marik spluttered, turning to look at his companion. Bakura stood there in Touzouku's body, scarlet eyes narrowed as his eyebrows drew in, wrinkling the caramel skin. He was wearing black jeans, with a loose red shirt. Marik supposed he would've been handomse, had he not been sulking since they left the house.

"You heard me," Bakura snarled, glaring at Marik. He watched the blonde boy before him, who was wearing a lavender midriff that showed off his smooth stomach. Black cargo pants hugged his hips, which were jutting out as he stopped to glare at Bakura.

"Yeah, I heard you. But what is are you asking about?"

"Is he a better teacher, I guess," Bakura said, furrowing his brow in confusion. Marik rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Bakura, you know you're the only teacher for me," Marik said in a sarcastically loving voice, batting his eyelashes before scowling and continuing walking down the sidewalk. Bakura felt his face heat up, and he glared at the blonde's swaying backside.

"Jeez, jerk . . ." Bakura snarled, and Marik just flipped his golden hair over his shoulders.

"Whatever. What do you wanna do, seeing as it's _you_ who decided to come out here." Marik looked back at Bakura, who seemed to think it over for a minute. He didn't really have a plan, he just knew he wanted to be out of that house.

Away from the rest of the Ishtars.

Away from Kaiba.

Away from anyone who would interfere with him and Marik.

No! Bakura shook his head savagely, and Marik tilted his head, worried about his friend.

"Let's just. . ." Bakura floundered for a moment. "Walk." He finished lamely, shrugging his shoulders. Marik sighed, before fiddling with his bangs a little. He watched Bakura for a moment, before making up his mind.

"Wanna go on the Nature Walk?" Marik asked, and Bakura looked at him, tilting his head.

"Isn't that the thing where you can walk all around those paths to see animals and stuff? Near the wetlands?"

"Yeah, so you know it?"

"Well, Ryou used to drag me there sometimes . . ." Bakura said softly. Marik frowned.

"We don't have to go if it'll . . . You know," Marik finished, waving his hand vaguely. Bakura shook his head again.

"No, it's fine. Let's go."

Marik gave a dazzling smile, and Bakura flushed as the blonde boy grabbed Bakura's hand. He tugged along the spirit as they raced down the street to the Nature Walk.

The Nature Walk was concrete bridges that ran overtop a lake, a wetland, a praire, a river, and through a forest. Many animals were there to see in their natural habitats. Marik paused overtop the lake to examine the ducks.

Bakura stopped next to him, watching the ducks. He ran a tongue over his lips. Marik scowled at him.

"What's with that look. . .?"

"Duck tastes yummy," Bakura snarled, wrapping a hand around the barrier. He hoisted himself onto the top of it, staring down at the ducks. Marik let out a yelp, and grabbed Bakura's hand, dragging the spirit back.

Bakura turned to smirk at Marik, as he fell off the barrier. He landed on his feet, before staring at Marik's hand wrapped around his fore-arm. Marik blushed and Bakura grinned, and he reached out, wrapped an arm around Marik's shoulder, and dragged the protesting Egyptian along with him.

"Touzouku! Leggo!" Marik wailed, his face crushed against Bakura's chest.

"Oh, those are good too! My mum used to make those waffles all the time," Bakura sighed happily. "Bloody good syrup too. . ." Marik snarled.

"I don't care about you and your waffles, dammit!" Marik yowled, as Bakura rolled his eyes. He released the blonde, as Marik stumbled away, scowling at Bakura.

"You know you loved it," Bakura smirked. Again, he found himself hoping against all hope that Marik would respond as he wanted. And, of course, yet again, he was thwarted as the blonde rolled his lavender eyes.

"Tch. You wish, Touzouku." Marik sauntered past, and Bakura scowled.

"Touzouku am I?"

"In that body yes," Marik retorted, and kept walking. The tension settled though, as they wound their way through the paths. They reached the part where the birds were nesting, and Bakura looked in, seeing the little ones cheeping about. Marik let out a groan, as he slumped down, not being tall enough to see in. Bakura looked down, before grinning.

He went down on one knee, and looked up at Marik.

"What?" Marik asked, staring stupidly at Bakura. The spirit rolled his eyes.

"Get on my back. I'll let you look at the birds."

To Bakura's satisfaction, Marik flushed a little, before stepping forward. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Bakura's neck, making them loose as to not choke the man. He pushed his torso against Bakura's back, and the spirit took this as a sign that Marik was ready.

Bakura stood, before reaching his hands back. He gripped Marik's thighs, ignoring the little butterflies in his stomach, as he hoisted the boy's legs up to where they were around Bakura's middle.

"Uh. . . Th-Thanks, Touzouku," Marik muttered, as Bakura shifted to where Marik was looking in at the nest. He let out a little squeal, and he unconcisouly gripped Bakura tighter, watching the little birds flap around cutely in their nest, their feathers only just coming in.

After he had his fill, he slid down off of Bakura, who was hiding his pink cheeks as they walked on. Marik chuckled, and put his arms behind his back as they walked, making idle conversation about the birds, snakes, and the occasional otter.

They reached the end of the Nature Walk, just as the sun was slowly dipping below the horizon. The Nature Walk ended at the beginning, so they were once again at the edge of the lake. Now, however, all the ducks were on the bank, fluffing out their feathers as they waddled around on the grass.

Bakura saw Marik watching them avidly, before he smirked. He turned around, and sure enough, there was an old lady sitting on a bench. He remembered her, from when he and Ryou had used to come here. He slowly walked over to her, leaving Marik standing there.

"Excuse me, miss?" Bakura asked, approaching the old lady. She lifted her head, and gave him a soft smile.

"Yes, son?" She asked in a cracked voice. A loaf of bread was next to her on the bench.

"Oh, I was just wondering if we could borrow some bread to feed to the ducks?" Bakura gave a broad smile, before pointing at Marik. From here, he easily looked like a girl. "You see, my girlfriend as never been this close to ducks, and I forgot to bring the bread." Bakura took on a hopless look, and offered a vague shrug.

The old woman's smile widened, and she quickly grabbed the loaf of bread. She handed him the whole thing, patting his hand slightly. "Have fun, my dears. And make sure you treat her nice. Give her a kiss down there by the lake. It'll be one of the most romantic things of her life!" The old woman giggled, and Bakura felt his face heating up, before nodding and muttering a thanks.

He scurried over to Marik, before looping his arm around the boy's waist. Marik let out a little squeak of protest, before he noticed the loaf of bread.

"Bakura, how . . .?" Marik was cut off though, as Bakura started leading him down to the lake, keeping an arm around Marik all the while.

"I got it from this old lady I know," Bakura explained in a whisper. "Except, ya know, you look so girly that I kind of told her you were my girlfriend." Feeling his face reheating at what the old lady had advised him to do, he coughed slightly, before pulling the bread upwards and into Marik's range of grabbing. The tanned boy took it, studying Bakura harshly.

"So, I have to act like a girl?"

"Not to hard for you, though," Bakura smirked. "Just swing your hips a little more, and that'll be the ticket." He laughed as Marik jumped at him, and Bakura placed his hand on Marik's hips, lifting the boy into the air. Marik let out little squeals of protest, and before he could think what he was doing, he dropped the bread, wrapped his arms around Bakura's neck, and pulled himself into Bakura. His legs wound around the spirit for the second time that day, and he bumped his forehead on Bakura's chin.

"Jeez. . ." Marik gasped, before looking up at Bakura. The spirit was scowling at him, but he soon smirked.

"Couldn't keep your hands off of me, could you?" Bakura cackled, and Marik flushed, before hopping away from Bakura.

"That's not funny!" He yelped, before bending over to pick up the bread. "But . . . I guess thanks for getting the bread," he muttered angrily, before pulling out two slices. He tossed one at Bakura, smacking him in the face, before laughing and prancing off to the edge of the lake, where he slid to his knees. He ripped the bread into smaller pieces, before wagging it tantalizingly in front of a few ducks.

Bakura smiled, watching. He dropped his piece of bread in the grass somewhere, where a flock of ducks immediatly attacked it. Marik was on his knees, staring curiously at some ducks through his long blonde bangs.

However, Bakura's mind was wandering. He kept thinking about the woman's suggestion of kissing Marik near the lake. Bakura would readily do it, if he knew he could pass it off as a joke in case Marik didn't like it. But, while Marik was ignorant, naive and stupid, the boy was smart enough to figure out when a kiss was real or not.

Biting his lip, he watched as Marik's back arched gently as he lowered himself to his elbows, his midriff rising slightly to show off more skin. From here, he could see Marik's scars on his back showing through, glinting almost white in the fading sunlight. He thought of all the memories he shared with Marik; small moments while they were at the house, seeing Marik laugh, watching Marik slowly but surely exit his shell.

Bakura strode forwards then, not even pausing when he scared away several ducks. Marik's lower lip stuck out in a pout as he looked up at Bakura, who was staring down at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Touzouku. . . .?" Marik asked, and Bakura pulled Marik up by his arms to where they were looking into each others eyes.

"Marik . . ." Bakura said hesitantly, leaning forward a little. "There's something I need to tell you . . ."

"MELVIN!" A voice cut through the moment, and left Bakura looking at Marik, surprise written all over his face as Marik turned towards the noise. They could see an impatient Tea standing at the top of the hill. Melvin was in front of her, glaring angrily back.

He was dressed in a baggy shirt and pants, and he kept tugging nervously at them, as if trying to hide something. Tea sighed, before running a hand through her hair. She walked up to the elder Ishtar male, before placing a hand on his shoulder, softly rubbing it as she muttered something to him.

Melvin lowered his gaze, before snarling at Tea.

"I want to keep doing it, Tea, but if anybody finds out . . . ." His voice faded away, and Tea shook her head.

"How would anyone?" They heard her reply. "It's a total secret, as long as it's at my house. I won't tell, and my mom and dad won't, either, so quit worrying." Bakura and Marik's eyes widened as they stared at each other, and Bakura found himself completly shoving kissing Marik from his mind. In fact, he quickly released the other boy's shoulders, as they saw Tea lead Melvin away.

"Well, spend me over and spank until it's red!" Marik gasped, and Bakura nodded in reply, before stopping, and turning to Marik.

"Wait. . . What in the bloody _hell_ did you just say?" Bakura questioned, and Marik's face flushed.

"W-Well, it's one of Melvin's sayings and. . ." Marik's voice dwindled, and Bakura resisted the urge to burst into racous laughter. He shook his head slightly, before crossing his arms.

"Speaking of Melvin . . . What on Earth is he doing with Tea?" A silver eyebrow archd, and Marik shrugged slightly.

"Drugs? Sex?"

"Jeez, Negative Nelly, aren't you?" Bakura chuckled, and Marik scowled.

"Whatever . . . I guess we won't know . . . I doubt Melvin would confide anything in us after all," Marik grinned, and Bakura couldn't help but smile as Marik said 'us'. Just then, the old lady came bustling down the hill, though, and she walked up to Marik.

"Girlfriend, huh?" The lady said shrewdly, studying Marik, before letting her gaze flicker to Bakura.

"Oh. . . I-I'm sorry it's just-"

"Don't worry, sonny," the woman interrupted, laughing. "I have nothing against you for, ah, what do you young kids say nowadays? Walking the other side of the street, is it?" Marik and Bakura both flushed at the woman's mistake, before giving hasty good byes and thank-yous. They left, both feeling sightly releaved.

"Hey, Touzouku?" Marik said, and Bakura frowned.

"You keep calling me that. . . Why?"

"Because, you're in Touzouku's body. It'd be pretty suspicious if I called you Bakura all the time. We got away with Tea, but not everyone is so gullible," Marik said, watching Bakura as they started off down the sidewalk again.

"Well, anyways. . ." Bakura sighed. "What was it?"

"Well, I was just wondering," Marik turned a little pink, "if, y'know, since you're already possessing Touzouku's body anyways . . . It's not like it could do any extra harm, right, just for another few hours and . . ."

"Marik," Bakura interrupted drily, "you're rambling."

"Oh, yes well . . . I just wondered if maybe you wanted to um . . . Stay for dinner?" The last part came out as a squeak, and Marik stared at the cracks passing beneath his feet. Bakura appeared to ponder it for a moment, even though on the inside he was leaping for joy and wanted to scream yes. This meant that, apparently, Marik liked Bakura having his own body, and being able to interact with him. A true cause for celebration.

However, that wasn't the "Bakura" thing to do.

"Sure," Bakura answered in a drawling voice, "as long as you don't spank me till I'm red." He cackled as Marik's face went bright pink, before he chased Bakura down the street, yelling curse words that Bakura didn't even know existed.

-(-o-)-

**Jeez. . . Finally got some Thiefshipping in there.**

**And nobody's guessed (right) about Melvin, but I doubt anybody ever will. Cuz honestly, I wouldn't've thought of it, had I not been bored in class due to stupid EOCs. Whoever decided that we can't friggn' read after those tests deserves to be SHOT AND MAIMED. Sittn' there for THREE FRIGGN' hours. . . Ugh. . .**

**That's when I came up with Marik's little saying too . . . V_V I couldn't get Bakura and Marik out of my head as I stared at that stupid brick wall . . .**

**Either way, reviews are awesome and loved! =D**

**Seeya!**


	13. Chapter 13: Bakura Stays for Dinner

Bakura sat at the Ishtar dinner table, staring dismally down at a salad, along with a bunch of other vegetables that he couldn't identify. All the Ishtars however, were happily tucking in. Even Melvin, to Bakura's surprise, appeared to be a vegitarian. The spiky haired teen seemed as if he would certainly enjoy feeling blood running down his throat, but yet here he was, stuffing his face with what looked like carrots.

Marik saw Bakura looking down at his plate, before his eyes widened. He mentally slapped himself, before looking to his mother.

"Mother, do we have any meat?" Marik questioned, his lavender gaze training on Mrs. Ishtar, who stuttered for a moment.

"Well, yes. . . You're uncle gave us some. I don't think he knew we were vegitarians but . . . Why do you want some, son?"

Bakura gritted his teeth at, yet again, the Ishtar's blatant disuse of names.

"Well, Touzouku," Marik said, and the whittete's head snapped up, "doesn't like vegetables. He only eats meats." Bakura shot a thankful look to Marik, who just nodded slightly to aknowledge that he'd heard.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Ishtar exclaimed. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Touzouku." She hopped up, and headed to the fridge. She pulled out what looked like a bloody steak, and Bakura could see the distaste in her eyes.

She pulled out a pan, and set the steak on it, before thoroughly washing her hands from the red liquid leaking from it.

"But . . ." Mrs. Ishtar frowned and dried off her hands. "Touzouku, dear, I'm afraid I don't quite know how to cook it . . ." She admitted, ducking her head slightly to hide her flaming cheeks. Bakura grinned.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Bakura said, before walking over to the steak.

"You know how to cook it?" She asked hopefully, and Bakura cocked an eyebrow.

"Nope. But it's perfect the way it is," Bakura chuckled, putting the steak on a plate before returning to the table to eat it. He took large chunks out of it with just his teeth. Touzouku's mouth wasn't quite used to this rough treatment, though, and Bakura felt his jaw growing sore. He lifted his gaze to the stunned Ishtars.

Mrs. Ishtar looked like she was going to vomit soon, and she was staying well away from the table. Ishizu had scooted away a little too, leaving her food untouched. Melvin had a grin, and he was watching Bakura with an almost unhealthy, raptured look. Marik just watched Bakura as he continued to eat his own food.

"Go on, eat some more!" Melvin commanded, grinning like a maniac as he watched blood dribble down Bakura's chin. The whittete coughed slightly, before swiping his tongue around his mouth, clearing up some of the blood, before he began to eat some more.

Mrs. Ishtar finally retched, and Ishizu hopped up quickly to make sure she was okay. Bakura scowled. It wasn't that fuckin' bad!

Marik's shoulders started shaking, and Bakura snapped his head to the blonde, angry that even his best friend was reduced to vomitting. He was incorrect, however, as Marik's head tilted back and he burst into laughter.

Mrs. Ishtar cast a worried look at her son, and Ishizu kept patting her mother's back in a soothing fashion while holding back her curtain of long black hair. Melvin stared at his Bakura too, before laughing along with his brother.

Bakura's eyebrows raised, before he let out a snarl.

"What's so damn funny?" He demanded of Marik, who was grinning at Bakura.

"Oh, Touzouku, you look lovely with pink hair," Marik trilled, fluttering his lashes as, before breaking down into more laughter. Melvin was grinning and laughing with Marik, and they both kept huddling next to each other, whispering jokes no doubt.

Bakura scowled at them. "The bloody hell are you talking about?" He growled, before pulling at some of Touzouku's hair. He saw the usually snowy white hair turned into a sort of pink string from all the blood that had spattered everywhere.

The spirit glared angrily at the, for once, united brothers. The Ishtar males subsided into snickers, and Bakura finished off his steak, before running his tongue along the plate, collecting what was left of the blood.

He heard Mrs. Ishtar throwing up again.

Marik smiled, before gathering up all the plates and putting them in the sink. He ran some water over them, and Bakura watched him as he did it. Melvin seemed to notice Bakura's gaze though, because the spiky haired teen leaned over and whispered to Bakura.

"Sorry, man, but he's off limits. He's got a girlfriend, and a secret boyfriend," Melvin confided, before hopping up. He pranced over to Marik, before throwing his arms around his brother, whispering crude things in his ear that made Marik yell at him.

Bakura frowned. What was this boyfriend Melvin was talking about? It irritated Bakura, and he grumbled to himself as he dug his nails into his arms, dragging them down the flesh. Marik saw him, though, and dashed from the sink.

"What're you doing?" Marik hissed, glaring angrily at the scratch marks.

Bakura offered an innocent shrug. "I do it sometimes when I'm thinking really hard," he answered. Marik frowned.

"But that's not your body anymore," the blonde muttered, leaning in close. Bakura felt his heart pick up a little bit, but he decided to ignore it. He grunted in response, and Melvin left the kitchen.

"Marik, darling," Mrs. Ishtar said weakly. "I think it's time Touzouku went home . . ."

Marik nodded, before looking at Bakura. "I'll just walk him to the corner," Marik said, before taking Bakura's hand in his. The two boys exited the house, and headed down the street. Stopping at the corner, just as Marik said, Bakura turned to the blonde.

"Marik . . ." Bakura said, studying the tanned boy.

"Yeah?" Marik asked, hands in his pockets.

"Well . . . I think we should ask what Melvin's up to," Bakura said, a smirk stealing over his features.

"Oh?" Marik said, raising his eyerows. "Why should we?"

"Because," Bakura explained. "You're only dating Tea to make Melvin happy, so if you figure out why he's keeping her happy, then maybe you can reverse it on him, and ditch that annoying woman."

"Very interesting idea . . ." Marik smiled, before gripping Bakura's hand. "Alright, then, Touzouku, let's do it!"

"Suppose I should let this man go now, huh?" Bakura sneered, staring down at Touzouku's body.

"I think that would be very nice of you, Bakura," Marik sniggered, and Bakura flicked him off.

"Yeah, yeah . . ." Bakura sighed, staring at the body. Marik gave him a questioning look. "Well, it's just. . . I like having a body . . .Being able to interact with all of you, without someone screaming their head off. Other then your mother, of course," Bakura added wrily, a grin curling the corners of his mouth.

Marik laughed. "I must admit, that was most amusing."

"Very much so . . ." Bakura sighed, before stepping away from Marik. "You should go jump behind the bushes or something."

"Behind the bushes indeed," Marik scoffed, flipping his hair behind his shoulder. "I could get bugs on me, Bakura. Friggn' bugs!"

Bakura rolled his eyes, before he shoved Marik into the bushes. The blonde fell with a cry, before straightening up and peering over the branches of the bush. Bakura released Touzouku then, and the man's body fell limp as the spirit floated over to Marik. They watched as Touzouku stood, groaning and holding his pink stained head.

Marik gasped, and Bakura did too. Touzouku didn't seem to hear them, though, as he stared at the hair slipping through his fingers, now much paler then they had ever been. His hair was much longer now too, hanging down his back in spiked layers. It hadn't adopted Bakura's crazy spikes at the top yet, and the bangs were still different, but it was quite obvious where the hair had started to form.

His skin was also now a chalky color, almost as if caught between Touzouku and Bakura's skintones, which it probably was. Touzouku stared in horror down at his skin, before he lurched to his feet.

"What . . . I don't . . . ." Touzoku snarled, and he hopped to his feet. Letting his eyes roam once more, he heard Marik shuffle in the bushes. Immediatly, the whittete was upon him, shoving his hand into the bushes and grabbing Marik by his purple hoodie.

Marik cried out, and Touzouku glared angrily at the boy.

"Ishtar," he snarled, "why the _fuck_ am I like this?"

"I don't know! Let me go!" Marik commanded, kicking out at Touzouku. Apparently the whittete was weakened from Bakura's possession, because he fell to the ground. Marik crumpled beneath him, and he felt an icy cold touch on his arms as Bakura was trying to drag him out from beneath Touzouku's body.

"Run dammit!" Bakura commanded, and Marik wasted no time. He wriggled out from beneath the limp body, and dashed off down the road, clinging to the Millinium Ring for all he was worth. He could see Bakura gliding along beside him, casting furtive glances back.

Marik ran to his doorway, before practically busting it open as he slammed the door behind him. His chest fell and rose in rapid succesion, as Melvin, who had been sitting on the floor watching TV, looked up.

"You okay, fucktart?" Melvin questioned, tilting his head. Marik looked at the gooey thing in his brother's hand. "Oh, yeah, mother made s'mores. Want some?" The spiky haired elder asked, grabbing a plate and holding them out to Marik.

Marik shook his head, regaining his composure, before he flopped down on the couch.

"Hey . . ." Bakura said. "Get one."

The Egyptian boy looked at him, before reaching over and picking up a s'more. He stared at Bakura, awaiting instructions. Bakura just shrugged.

"Eat for the both of us, since I don't have a body to enjoy it," Bakura explained, and Marik rolled his eyes, before popping the s'more into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, before licking his lips. A smile etched its way across his face, and Bakura snorted.

"What?" Marik demanded.

"You look stupid," Bakura explained, cackling at the boy's outraged face.

"Asshole!" Marik exclaimed, before standing up. Melvin was watching him, but said nothing. Marik stepped past his brother's body, before heading up the stairs to bed. He flopped down, and Bakura nestled down next to him.

"So . . ." Marik said softly, "What're we gonna do about Touzouku? He's truly suspecting us of something."

"He can't prove it!" Bakura snarled, glaring angrily at the wall. That stupid prick had grabbed Marik, and Bakura was almost completely sure that Touzouku had had every intention of doing harm to the bronzed boy beside him.

"Bakura . . .Everytime he blanks out, he's changed, and I'm always there. That's plenty of proof," Marik said pointedly. "The first one or two times would be coincidence, but we're going on three, aren't we?"

Bakura nodded slowly, before shrugging. "Whatever. It's not like he can do anything, either way."

Marik didn't look convinced, but he just rolled over. He wrapped his hands around his Winged Dragon of Ra plushie, before falling asleep.

-(-o-)-

**This is more of a filler chapter but yeah . . . . Dude, it's getting harder to write Bakura in character. T o T Either way.**

**However, for a filler chapter, it took a LOT to write. Rewrote the stupid thing three times, because at first there was a dance party with Kaiba and Tea there. I don't even know anymore . . . Then there was the one with Marik's father.**

**And for some reason they all started with "Marik and Bakura entered the Ishtar household." And all of them ended up with Marik and Bakura in the bed together (not . . . like, with sex and stuff, just on the bed.)**

**Gaaaaaah.**

**Pfft . . . Marik's mom's a pansy. Ah well.**

**Reviews are loved, and whatnot. You guys know the drill by **

**Seeya!**


	14. Chapter 14: Touzouku's Lending Hand

Monday rolled around, and Touzouku didn't show up. Bakura was annoyed by this, but he got over it as Marik would type in answers to whatever the spirit was saying into his phone and flash the message to Bakura whenever the teacher wasn't looking.

They tried, quite unsuccesfully, to question Tea about Melvin. She, however, would all of a sudden crop up some story about studying, or doing homework with Yugi. Bakura and Marik even tried tailing Melvin a few times, but the spiky haired teen always managed to lose them in the crowds.

Of course, they were now going on a week since Touzouku had last shown up to class.

"Maybe he transfered," Marik said during one of their lunch breaks. "After all, he could've been scared by what was happening."

"Maybe . . ." Bakura muttered, unconvinced. Taking over Touzouku was the only option he had body-wise. Anybody else would be to difficult, since they'd gone to this school for a while and had friends that would notice them being wierd.

However, on Saturday, Marik was awoken by Melvin. His brother shook his shoulder lightly, peering at Marik until the boy's eyelids popped open.

"Wha . . .?" Marik mumbled, sitting up.

"That Touzouku kid is at the door for you," Melvin said, before straightning up. "But . . The funny thing is, I asked him if he was going to eat anymore blood, and he just gave me this sick look and told me to 'go the hell away with my raving'." Melvin scowled and crossed his arms. "You be happy that it's to early in the morning to bother killing someone."

"Yeah, thanks a ton," Marik said, before sliding out of bed. He yawned, not even bothering to put on a shirt, as he strolled down the stairs. Vaguely, he wondered why Bakura had left the house to possess Touzouku.

When Marik opened the door, though, he knew right away this wasn't Bakura. Touzouku, the real one, was standing there, holding a large stack of books with a defiant look on his face. Marik opened his mouth to question Touzouku, but the boy had already shoved past him. He stomped over to the couch, before letting his books spill from his arms.

Bakura exited the Millinium Ring at this time, and his eyes widened incredulously as he stared at Touzouku. He moved forward, to possess him, but Marik held up an arm to stop him. The Egyptian boy was incredibly curious as to why Touzouku was here.

Touzouku turned to Marik then, arms crossed, his chalky skin looking even paler then last time Marik had seen him. Dark shadows bruised beneath his eyes, and his white hair was lank and unhealthy looking.

"Touzouku. . ." Marik finally muttered. "What're you. . . Why the hell are you in my house? With all those books?" He waved a tanned hand at the heap of paper on his couch.

"These," Touzouku growled, his voice slightly raspy, "are the fruits of my labor, and the reason I have been absent." He turned his back on Marik, before walking over to the books. He pulled up one, flashing the cover at Marik. The title read, _Possesive Spirits and How to Get Rid of Them._

Marik gulped, and Bakura snarled angrily.

"You . . . You're being possessed by ghosts?" Marik asked, trying to sound innocent and skeptical, as if the whole thing were possibly a joke. He knew his voice, though, and it came out very high pitched, with a tremble running through it.

Touzouku obviously heard it, and he angrily crossed his arms, staring at Marik.

"Fine, fine!" Marik yelped, and Bakura stared at Marik, before laying a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. Marik, however, only felt a cold chill rack his body. Touzouku watched as Marik's body twitched spasmatically.

"The spirit is bugging you too?" Touzouku snarled, looking around the room. "I thought you were the one who summoned him here," the teenager admitted, shrugging slightly. Marik felt guilt prick at him.

"Well, you don't exactly summon a spirit," Marik said hesitantly, shooting concerned glances at Bakura, who had retracted his hand as if Marik had burnt him. There was a sad look in Bakura's eyes that Marik didn't really know how to identify.

"Oh?" Touzouku questioned, arching an eyebrow. "How is he here then?"

"I. . . I don't really know," Marik confessed, scrunching up his eyebrows as he looked to Bakura. Touzouku's eyes trained in on the spot as well, and Bakura felt angry that some stranger was staring at him as if he knew them.

"Look, I don't know, Marik," Bakura snarled, glaring at his friend. Marik nodded slightly.

"You should show yourself, Bakura," Marik said softly. "It'll make this easier if Touzouku here can communicate with you." Bakura shook his head emphatically, and Marik nodded his head furiously.

"Like hell!" Bakura growled.

"I'll send you to damn hell if you don't talk to him!" Marik retorted.

"Well, Jesus, I didn't know you'd be so tanned!"

"Bakura!"

"And blonde! Mm, c'mon, take off your shirt. I didn't know you'd have such good abs, too," Bakura spat out, before he registered what he'd said. He coughed and clamped his hands to his mouth, while Marik just leaned back a little, studying Bakura through raised eyebrows.

"Uh. . . . You ready to cooperate now?" Marik asked. Bakura shot him a dirty look, before sighing, and letting himself grow visible. Touzouku let out a yelp, before squinting his eyes to stare at Bakura.

"I . . . I look like you," Touzouku said.

"Oh, isn't he the smart one!" Bakura spat, and Touzouku immediatly flared up, popping open his mouth to yell at Bakura. Marik stepped between them, though, holding up a hand before each of them.

"Okay, ladies, let's focus here," Marik commanded, and he heard outraged yells from both sides.

Touzouku was the first to settle down, though, and he sat on the couch. Marik sat next to him, despite the chills he was getting from Bakura swiping his hands through him continuously.

"Dammit, spirit, let Ishtar alone for a minute!" Touzouku growled, and Bakura glared back at the teenager, not even realizing his fist was still in Marik's stomach. Said boy, though, was jerking and making little gasping noises.

"Shit!" Bakura hissed, before quickly pulling out his hand. "Marik . . ."

"It's fine," Marik said, before Touzouku started speaking again. "Anyways, Touzouku. Why did you bring these books?"

"To help you," Touzouku said. "Well, actually, to get rid of the spirit. Not neccesarily help you. More so for me. But now that I know the spirit is using you as well, I'm going to help you in the process."

Marik felt his jaw drop a little, and Touzouku misinterpreted it. He grinned.

"Yeah, so don't worry anymore Ishtar. I'll help get rid of the damned specter."

"Watch who you're calling a specter!" Bakura rumbled, glaring angrily from behind Marik. "You just better thank Marik I'm on possessing your ass right now!"

"You take orders?" Touzouku smirked, cackling slightly. "What kind of pathetic ghost are you?"

"Why you little-"

"Bakura!" Marik interrupted sharply, glaring from male to male. "Behave. And Touzouku, we don't need to get rid of Bakura. He's a . . ." Marik didn't really want to lie anymore. "He's not a bad ghost," he decided to stay instead. "More of a poltergeist. A trickster, you know?"

Touzouku looked like he didn't believe it, but Melvin came down the stairs in. He looked from an angry Bakura, to an uncomfortable Marik, to an irritated Touzouku.

"Oh, little brother, did your love life finally come crashing down around you?" Melvin sniggered. "Now all we need is Tea," he cackled, before strolling into the kitchen. Marik groaned, clutching his forehead, before standing up.

"I need to go talk to Melvin," Marik said. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." Marik got up then, and headed into the kitchenm. He saw Melvin making two cups of tea.

"Oh, hey, faggot," Melvin smirked, handing one of the cups to Marik. Marik took it, blinking in surprise at the brown liquid sloshing around inside the china.

"Melvin . . .?"

"Look . . ." Melvin sighed, sipping some of his own tea. "I kind of feel sorry for you kid, however . . . Guess you're not to much of a pussy. You're dealing with me, Tea, Bakura, and now, apparently, that Touzouku kid." Melvin wagged his eyebrow. "A regular pimp, you are."

Marik spluttered into his tea, and Melvin just laughed.

"Melvin, it's not like you think," Marik tried to explain. He grabbed a napkin to wipe off his chin. Melivn just smirked.

"Yeah, kiddo, I know. I'm not stupid." Melvin rolled his eyes, before stepping up to Marik and patting him awkwardly on the head. "After all, the one you like is in there. Tea will be heartbroken, won't she?" Melvin added in an undertone, and Marik blinked in surprise.

"Melvin, what do you-?"

"You don't need to worry about Tea anymore," Melvin said, walking past Marik and back towards the stairs. "I know she won't tell anyone." And then he was gone.

Marik sat there, before quickly gulping down his tea. He put the cup in the sink, before dashing into the living room, to see Bakura and Touzouku sit next to each other, legs crossed with angry glares directed towards each other.

_"The one you like is in there"_ was what Melvin had said, but what could that mean.

Shrugging it off, Marik made his way to the two males, who both seperated to make room for Marik. He flopped down, before looking to Touzouku.

"So . . ." Touzouku said, "you _don't_ want to get rid of Bakura?"

Marik shook his head.

Touzouku sighed, before glaring angrily at the floor. "I spent a whole week researching that shit . . ."

"I'm sorry," Marik said, feeling guilty again. Bakura snorted.

"You shouldn't be, Marik. It's that idiots fault if he did something stupid like that."

"Bakura," Marik scowled, "you're not helping." Touzouku cast a superior glance over Marik's head to the infuriated spirit.

"Oh, that's rich! Take Touzouku's side!"

"I'm not taking Touzouku's side!" Marik argued, whirling to face Bakura. "I'm not taking any sides!"

"Call me Akefia," Touzouku interrupted, and Marik turned to look at him. Touzouku shrugged. "It's just weird hearing someone say my last name all the time."

"Um . . . Okay," Marik said, before leaning back so he could look at both of the boys.

Bakura sneered, and Touzouku scowled.

"Okay, we need to do something though . . . Bakura . . ." Marik looked sadly to Bakura. "I think you should quit taking over Touzouku," he said softly, and Touzouku looked triumphant, whereas Bakura looked completely indignant.

He reared up, and opened his mouth to yell, but Touzouku cut him off. "Yell all you want spirit, I've been reading in these stories how to keep you out of my body. It's not Ishtar's fault. With or without his agreement, you weren't getting back into my body."

Bakura deflated, before burying his face in his hands. He didn't cry, he only felt anger bubbling in his stomach.

"However," Touzouku said, and both Marik and Bakura jerked their attention back to him. "I also read up a little on the bodies of spirits and . . . It appears there . . .Might be a possibility for you to gain your own body."

"Really?" Bakura yelped, and he lurched forward, leaning across Marik's lap and almost reaching out and grabbing Touzouku's shoulders. He refrained, though, as he saw Touzouku's crimson eyes widen.

"Yeah . . ." Touzouku said. "If you want, I can help you guys research it," he offered, and Marik nodded.

"Wait a minute," Bakura scowled. "Shouldn't you already know what book it's in!" Bakura demanded.

"I . . ." Touzouku said, letting his gaze slide to an oblivious Marik for a moment. "I forgot. We're just going to have to comb back through every book," he said, grinning softly. Bakura snarled, and resisted the urge to lash out with his claws and rip the smirk from Touzouku's face.

"Thanks, then, Akefia," Marik smiled, before letting his eyes land on the book. "The school year's almost over, so I think we should start then. We both need to focus on studying for the EOC's."

Touzouku nodded in agreement, and Bakura grinned, now aware that Touzouku wouldn't be here for the summer.

"Yes . . . And thanks to a certain _someone_," Touzouku said, frowning as he looked to Bakura, "I've missed a bit of school."

"Yeah . . ." Marik agreed, though he looked more amused then anything. All three boys stood up, and Marik and Bakura saw Touzouku to the door.

"I just hope I get my features back soon . . ." Touzouku said in an absentminded sort of way, before hopping down the stairs of the porch, waving as he walked down the street. Marik sighed, before shutting the door.

"You might get your own body!" Marik enthused, and Bakura smiled as well. They both hugged, without really thinking, and Marik ignored the chills that raced over his body. Bakura pulled back a little, though, and he remembered his urges to kiss Marik.

Quickly reeling away, he left a slightly stunned Marik standing at the doorway as Bakura quickly dissappeared into the Millinium Ring.

-(-o-)-

**Gah . . .New chapter. So, yeah. People didn't like Touzouku being constantly took over, but it was really just me being lazy to be honest. I didn't really know how to write Touzouku in character, so he probably is, and going to be, completely just **

**Oh yeah, I meant to put this in the last chapter but: Applause for CocoaDance and VampirePrinssess who guessed correctly on what Melvin's doing. If you want to know; you can look at their review. If you want it to be a surprise; don't look at the reviews.**

**Duh.**

**Anyways, reviews are loved loved loved. . .**

**And I've got a new idea for a new story . . . xD**

**Seeya!**


	15. Chapter 15: Melvin's Secret and a Kiss

Marik sat on his bed, hugging his Winged Dragon of Ra plushie. He was staring at the Millenium Ring that he'd taken off. It now lay there on his bed, looking completely and utterly innocent. He knew the truth though.

Ever since that incident where he and Bakura had hugged, the spirit had receaded into the depths of the Ring, and hadn't made an appearance or even spoken to Marik in that time. It was at this point that Marik realized how much he'd relied on Bakura for company. The spirit had been his only friend for a long time.

His only friend ever, really.

Sighing, Marik picked up the Ring. He supposed if Bakura wanted nothing to do with him, he couldn't really do anything about it. He hung the Ring on a nail sticking out of the wall, before heading downstairs.

Ishizu was down there with Kaiba. The brown-haired man had been hanging around the house a lot here lately. Melvin had disappeared yet again. Marik had entertained the idea of following him, but for some reason doing it without Bakura didn't hold the same glimmer.

Frowning, Marik flopped down on the couch. He then noticed that he was still holding his Winged Dragon. Hugging it close to his chest, he stared at the TV. It was wierd not hearing a continuous commentary from Bakura.

"Marik?" Ishizu poked her head into the living room.

"Yeah?" Marik asked in a dull voice.

"Are you hungry?" she asked nervously.

"Sure, sis," Marik sighed. "Oh yeah, how're you and Kaiba doing?"

Ishizu's face flushed and she stuttered for a moment. "W-Well you see. . . Um, we're going out now . . ." She ducked her face behind a curtain of hair, before Kaiba called her back into the kitchen. She dashed off, and Marik smirked.

This was too good.

Marik ascended the stairs and walked back into his room. He saw a furious Bakura sitting on the bed.

"Hey Bakura guess wha-"

"You took the Ring off!" Bakura snarled. Marik's blonde eyebrow arched as Bakura glared angrily at him.

"Okay?"

"Okay, so I was left up here all on my own! I'm tied to the Ring now! I can't go far from it!" Bakura hopped off the bed, and began to pace the bedroom in an irritated sort of way.

"Well you were ignoring me anyways," Marik replied cooly, his lavender eyes narrowing. Bakura stared at him for a moment, before sighing and running his hands through his hair.

"Fine then," Bakura snapped. "What did you want to tell me anyways?"

"Ishizu and Kaiba are an official couple," Marik replied before walking over and sitting on the bed. Bakura flopped down next to him, before pulling his knees up to his chest. He glared angrily at nothing, and Marik watched him.

"You miss having a body again," Marik said, knowing perfectly well what was bugging the spirit.

"That's . . . half the problem," Bakura muttered ino his knees, before shifting his gaze to Marik. "You know, I suppose I ow you an explanation."

"Explanation?"

"About my death."

"Oh."

Bakura sighed, before flopping back on the bed. "I just . . . I feel uncomfortable discussing it with someone." Bakura lifted his gaze to Marik, who was looking thoughtful. After a moment, the blonde reached over and picked up his Winged Dragon of Ra. He put the plushie in front of his face, before turning it to face Bakura.

"Tell me all your problems, Bakura," Marik said in a deep rumbly voice, bobbing the Winged Dragon a little as he talked. Bakura stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Marik?"

"Marik's not here," Marik replied in the deep voice. "Only Arty the fearsome Winged Dragon of Ra is here."

Bakura's eyebrow twitched, before he smirked. "Fine then, Arty. I was killed by my mum's boyfriend. My father left when we were younger, so of course, dear mummy was quite the desperate one. So when Prince Charming came storming in with all this money, promising her the world, she ate it up."

Marik peeked his eye out from behind Arty the Winged Dragon to watch Bakura. The ghost still had an expresionless face, though Marik could slightly detect some bitterness there.

"Continue when you're ready," Marik mumbled using Arty's voice.

"Yeah," Bakura grunted. "Well, anyways. . . It turned out he had a homocidal past. He was technically insane, though he could live a normal life. The only thing was, certain things made him . . . I dunno, snap?" Bakura shrugged. "Well, one day my mum saw him getting stern with Ryou, and she told him off. He didn't like being argued with, so he hit her.

"She fell to the ground, and she was crying. Ryou tried to run over and help her, but the man kept looking at the blood she spit out . . . I dunno, he lost it. He started laughing, and I tried to run over and at least save Ryou.

"I didn't get there in time though, and before I really knew it he'd killed us all. . ." Bakura's gaze turned vacant, as he stared off into nothing. Marik slowly lowered Arty, before scooting over to Bakura.

The blonde reached out his arms, and wrapped his arms around him. He let them hover over Bakura's cold, insubstantial body. Bakura jerked away, not wanting to be closer to Marik. He was aware of his growing feelings for the boy but . . .

"I promise, we're going to get you a body," Marik smiled softly, before pulling back his arms. Bakura looked to the blonde boy, who gave him a thumbs up before picking up Arty again.

"You gave him a stupid name," Bakura observed. Marik glared at him.

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Anytime," Bakura winked, trying to slip back into their teasing ways. It was much easier that way, with him and Marik cracking jokes at each other. Nothing on his mind but messing with the boy sitting next to him.

"Oh, of course, 'Kura-sama," Marik replied, rolling his eyes. Bakura felt his face heat up, as he glared at Marik. Well, that course of action hadn't worked.

"MARIK!" Ishizu called up the stairs. "Food's ready!"

Marik hopped up, and ran down the stairs, completely forgetting the Ring.

Bakura didn't complain this time, though. He sat on the bed, actually quite happy for this alone time. He needed to time to suss out his feelings. Did he like Marik? But Bakura was a ghost. That couldn't be possible. What if he got his body though . . .?

A dozen scenarios played out in his mind, each one ending with a passionate kiss from Marik that left Bakura feeling a little hot . . .

Don't think about that, he kept telling himself, but yet he kept imagining Marik doing things like that. The Marik in his imagination was much girlier then the real one, though, and always looked like he had slightly swollen lips and long lashes. His skin seemed smoother and nicer for some reason too . . .

The real Marik erupted into the room then, scaring Bakura out of his thoughts. The boy had a carrot between his teeth, and he was chewing it slowly as he jumped onto the bed. Marik reached over and slipped the Millenium Ring around his neck, completely oblivious to his flustered friend next to him.

"You're not eating in the kitchen?" Bakura questioned. "And why do you only have a carrot?"

Marik shrugged. "I didn't feel like interrupting. And Melvin just got home, so he took most of the food that Ishizu made."

"Lovely," Bakura chuckled, before looking at Marik out of the corner of his eyes. Yes, Marik was attractive, but he certainly paled in comparison to the imaginary him. So it wasn't Marik's looks that completely attracted Bakura.

So what was it about the Egyptian that had Bakura rolling in his thoughts in such an agonizing way?

Marik looked curiously over at Bakura, chewing slowly on his carrot.

"I think we should try tailing Melvin again tomorrow," Marik suggested. "After school."

Bakura grinned, happy to have an excuse to not think. "Sure."

-(-o-)-

Marik and Bakura ducked behind a bush after school, waiting for Melvin to come down the stairs of Domino High. Soon they were rewarded by seeing the top of spiky blonde hair appearing over top other students.

Melvin erupted from the crowd, and headed off down the street. He cast nervous looks around, but didn't notice the two people tailing him. Or . . . The person and ghost. Melvin shot down the sidewalk, before turning a sharp right.

Marik had to run to keep up. Bakura, however, got fed up with floating and latched onto Marik, riding piggyback while yelling things like 'GIDDYUP!"

"C'mon my little Marik pony . . . A Mony . . . Or, maybe a Parik. . .?" Bakura mused on Marik's back, who was shivering as Bakura's chill touched him. Just like usual, though, the coldness faded away after a while.

Melvin finally stopped, though, and entered a building. Marik snuck around back. Bakura cast a look around, before hooking his arms beneath Marik's armpits. He hoisted the shivering blonde up, where they hovered at a window.

"I didn't know you could carry me!" Marik hissed silently.

"Neither did I, honestly," Bakura cackled, and Marik glared angrily at the spirt. Bakura just shook his head, and motioned to the inside of the window. They floated a little to the side to where Marik could peer inside, but not be seen.

Inside was a large dance studio, with mahogany floors that were smooth. Large mats were spread out in the corner, and the walls were made of mirrors. A few bars ran along the edges, and Marik could see Tea sitting in the middle. She wore a tight black tanktop and pink shorts that barely covered her butt.

She was wearing black jazz shoes, pointing her toes into the air and lifting her leg to where it lined up with her ear. Freezing in that position, she pulled a rubberband off of her wrist and tied her brown hair back. She looked up as Melvin entered, looking nervous.

Melvin was wearing a black wife beater and baggy black sweatpants. He looked extremely embarrased, and Marik and Bakura couldn't help but gape at each other.

Marik's tough, cool, asshole, non-dancing anti-fruity older brother was standing there, a hand on his hip as he studied Tea.

"Nice to see you, Melvin!" Tea beamed, before lowering her leg. She stood up, and twisted her leg out behind her, curving her stomach a little as she straightened her leg behind her.

"Hello, Tea," Melvin replied gruffly, crossing his arms.

"Oh, relax," Tea laughed. She lowered her leg, and shifted her feet into third position. "You're not bad at dancing, either way."

"Whatever," Melvin muttered.

"Bakura, let's go," Marik whispered, and Bakura looked at him oddly. "I dunno. . . This is kind private." That was what the blonde said, but truthfully he didn't want to see Melvin-_Melvin_ for Christ's sake!-dancing.

It was wrong.

It was wierd.

And Marik didn't want to see it.

Bakura looked like he wanted to stay and watch, but he consented to Marik's request. He set the blonde down, and the two walked from the backyard and onto the street. Well, Marik walked. Bakura took up his usual spot on Marik's shoulder.

"You know, Melvin said I could break up with Tea, because she wouldn't tell about him. He was sure of it now," Marik said conversationally.

Bakura looked down at him. "Are you going to?" He felt slightly hopeful.

But then he remembered that he was a ghost.

Untouchable.

Probably unwanted.

"Yeah," Marik said. "Though, I don't think we were ever going out, to be honest." The boy shrugged.

"True, true," Bakura chuckled, crossing his legs. Before the knew it they were back at the house. They shuffled up the stairs, ignoring Ishizu and Kaiba on the couch together.

Marik idly wondered if Kaiba would ever go home.

Entering the bedroom, Bakura hopped off of Marik, who sat on the bed. He looked at Bakura, who was starting to crack up.

"What is it?" Marik asked, as Bakura burst into laughter.

"Dammit!" Bakura chuckled. "I just imagined Melvin doing a ballerina twirl in a tutu."

Marik scowled. "That's not funny, Bakura."

"Oh, yes it is. C'mon Marik? You look queer enough! Aren't you into all that dancing," Bakura cackled, before reaching out and gripping Marik's hands. He pulled the shuddering boy to his feet, where he twirled them together. Marik couldn't help but laugh as Bakura apparently discovered that ghosts could get dizzy. Bakura flopped onto the bed, landing on his back. Marik felt his feet slip from under him, and he felt himself land directly in Bakura.

Marik let out a cry as cold shivers raced up his body. He hand landed face first into Bakura's neck. Marik raised himself on his elbows, trying to put distance between their bodies as he tried to rise to his feet.

Suddenly, he felt something cold clamp over his lips, before a slight tingling sensation took over his body. He shivered, but not in a bad way as his eyes locked onto Bakura's. The spirit had his eyes closed, but quickly opened them as he jerked back.

"M-Marik I-"

Marik stared oddly at the spirit, before he moved forward again. The way he knelt he was hovering over Bakura's lap.

"That wasn't as cold as when you usually touch me . . ." Marik said softly, and Bakura felt his face heating up.

"What do you mea-"

"Do it again." Marik commanded, and Bakura looked confused for a moment, before he complied. He leaned forward, putting his lips over Marik's again. The blonde leaned forward, almost as if to deepen it, but he ended up sinking right through the ghost, landing on the bed with a slight _flump!_

Marik rolled onto his butt, before scooting a little bit away from Bakura. They stared at each other.

"Does this mean we like each other?" Marik asked. He wasn't really experienced in relationships, so he didn't know what to think. He know Bakura made him feel differently then his other acquantances, and Bakura was his true first friend.

"I don't . . . I don't know," Bakura replied truthfully, looking just as confused. "Maybe? I think so anyways . . ."

"What're we going to do about it, though?" Marik asked, pulling his knees up to his chest. He turned his lavender gaze on Bakura.

"I guess . . . Just roll with it for once," Bakura smirked, before leaning over and kissing Marik again . . .

-(-o-)-

**So while some feelings have been admitted, they're still unsure . . . Dern . . .**

**-Sigh- I don't think Bakura and Marik would notice if they had feelings for each Ugh . . . The OOCness kills me . . . I'm pretty sure I just masacred them. **

**T - T**

**Ah well, please review and whatnot . . .**

**Oh, yes! This part of the author's note might drag on, so for those of you who don't want to read. . .**

**Here lately I've been asking a question, but I can't really think of anything right now. So. I have this to request.**

**Okay, there are four major pairings that I can't stand in Yu-Gi-Oh! because I've never seen proof of them.(there's more I don't like, but I've seen proof soooo.)**

**These pairings are: Tendershipping, Bronzeshipping, Angstshipping, and Psychoshipping. And you know what, I don't hate it, but let's go ahead and throw Deathshipping in here because I don't know proof of it either.**

**So, what I want to know is: Does anybody know any instances where these were hinted at in the anime/manga?**

**Who knows, you might make me a supporter of a new shipping! Dunno . .**

**Ah well:**

**Please review and all that jazz!**

**Seeya!**


	16. Chapter 16: Yami's Warning

Marik woke up to the sunlight filtering through his blinds. He cast a groggy gaze over to his side, and noticed that Bakura had not stayed out through the night. Sighing, he sat up and put a hand to the Ring. Beneath his fingers, he felt it turn into molten gold. Erupting fromt he eye of Horus, Bakura appeared, before nestiling down on the bed.

Both staired at each other, not quite sure what to say about the night before.

Marik broke the silence first. "So, school ends in about two more days," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Bakura nodded, before staring at nothing in general. Marik stood up, before moving over to his closet. Bakura left, and Marik got dressed.

-(-o-)-

On the last full day of school, Marik sat at a table with Ishizu, Kaiba, Tea, Yugi, and Touzouku. They were all chatting animatedly, except for Kaiba and Touzouku. Marik would join in at times, throwing in random sarcastic comments, and sometimes even funny ones that Bakura, next to him, had come up with.

Tea and Marik had come to a sort of understanding. Marik had been right; she was a smart girl. She hadn't cried or thrown a fit when he had told her that he didn't really like her in the way she liked him. The brunette had just given an understanding smile, and after that they were just friends.

Ishizu and Kaiba still acted the same towards each other in public, though Marik had spied Kaiba hug her once when no one was around. He doubted whether Kaiba was a truly affectionate boyfriend, but it didn't bug Ishizu, after all. She wasn't exactly an affectionate girl.

Touzouku had sort of joined their group because of Marik, since the two chatted sometimes. That, and the group seemed to think they were the best of friends from when Bakura had possessed him.

Said ghost sat there now, eyeing Touzouku. Touzouku had started to regain his features like his tanned skin and short hair, but his eyes still gleamed crimson, and his skin was still a shade or two too light. Bakura noticed this, and still wanted Touzouku's body as his own. He supposed there was no way around that, though.

"So, Marik, what're you going to do over the summer?" Tea asked. The question had been rotating around the table, everyone answering in different ways. Marik frowned at the question, however.

"I'm just um . . . Going to do some extra work over the summer. Research and. . . Stuff," he said twisting his fingers in his lap.

"Oh, okay," Tea said with mild surprise. "And you Touzouku?"

"I'm going to be studying too," he replied in a bored voice, his gaze locking onto Bakura. Bakura had reluctantly made himself visible to the tanned teen, because Touzouku had a sneaking suscpicion that Bakura had been mocking him a lot behind his back (which was true), so to stop the paranoia, Marik had asked Bakura to let Touzouku see him.

"Oh." Tea's eyebrows rose, and she shared a grin with Ishizu.

Marik didn't like that grin.

That grin implied things that he didn't want.

Ishizu just looked at Marik, before tilting her head. No doubt she was wondering if it had something to do with Bakura. Marik gave the tiniest nod, and Ishizu returned it. Leaning back, she seemed satisfied, now that she knew what was going on.

Looking over, he saw Melvin enter the room. Surprising everyone, Tea called him over. Marik saw Melvin looked scared for a milisecond, before he reverted back to his usual sneering self.

He walked over, one hand in his pocket as he observed Tea like she were an insect on his windshield. "What the hell do you want, Gardner?" He growled, squinting his eyes at her.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought you might be lonely and would like to join us," Tea said, before turning away from him. Melvin glared angrily at her back.

"I'm not lonely, and I never have been, you stupid woman."

"It was a suggestion."

"A suggestion I'll ignore."

"Good-bye then," Tea called over her shoulder, before looking to Yugi. They started discussing some game or another. Melvin fumed silently for a moment, before stalking off. Marik watched him go, eyebrows raised.

"Just ignore. He's probably pissed that she contacted him outside of school," Bakura said to Marik, crossing his arms before nodding his head in a deffinite way. Marik rolled his eyes, before looking to the clock. Not much longer . . .

"So, Marik," Touzouku said, turning to the blonde boy. "I have the books to study it," his ruby eyes slid over to Bakura, "now all we need to do is work out a time and place."

"My house will do fine," Marik replied, shrugging. "Unless there's some place else you want to do it at. As for time, I'm not to sure. I don't do anything over the summer, so pretty much whenever you want to pop by, we'll be there." Marik looked to Bakura, who grinned.

Touzouku nodded, before straightening up. He too looked at the clock, just as the bell rang, releasing the teens from school. There was immediatly a mad-dash for backpacks, papers, and books, before the stampede carried out the doors.

Marik's table waited patiently, none of them wanting to deal with that. When the crowd had dispersed, Tea stood up with Ishizu, and they walked off, Kaiba trailing behind. Touzouku left as well, though doing his best not to go near the aforementioned group of three.

Marik stood up to leave, just as he felt a hand grip his arm. Turning around, he blinked in surprise.

Yugi had somehow gotten taller, and his spiked hair had change. It now had lightning blonde streaks running up the spikes. His eyes had turned crimson, and his skin had turned a more tanned color. He was studying Marik critically.

"Yes, Yugi?" Marik asked warily. He was quite positive this wasn't Yugi. Bakura, next to him, seemed to think so too, since he was floating next to Marik, tensed up. The not-Yugi turned his gaze to Bakura.

"At ease, spirit," a voice deeper then Yugi's rumbled. Bakura blinked in surprise, before just settling for a snarl.

"Who are you?" Marik questioned. He didn't feel fear, so much as a deep unease. He hid this, though, as he stared blankly into the crimson orbs.

"I am Yami," the non-Yugi replied. "I am a spirit that has been kept inside this Millenium Puzzle," he said as more of an explanation, before placing his hand over the jewlrey. Marik nodded slightly, not really all that surprised. Hadn't he seen Yugi whispering to the Puzzle multiple times, after all? Carresing it softly as he sat in class?

"You do know that Puzzle isn't real right?" Marik asked, pointing at the Item.

"Oh, yes, I am well aware," Yami said. Marik looked down at the tanned hand still holding him. Yami saw his gaze, and retracted his arm. "Marik Ishtar and Bakura Touzouku."

Marik frowned. Now, Marik's name was quite easy to know, but Bakura's . . .

"Don't worry about how I know your names," Yami said, tilting his head. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is I know your plans."

"What plans?" Marik questioned, deciding to play innocent.

"Lying won't work." Yami said, staying stony-faced. "I know you want Bakura Touzouku to gain a new body of his own. I also know about his previous possession of Akefia Touzouku."

Bakura hissed a little next to Marik, and even the tanned boy had trouble hiding his feelings now. He didn't like the way Yami seemed to know everything about them.

"And? What do you have to say about it, Yami?" Marik demanded.

Yami stared at him for a moment, before he looked down at the Puzzle. "I possess the Puzzle for a reason. For a very long time, how many years I do not know, I have been helping along spirits."

"Helping . . . Along?" Marik questioned.

"Showing them into the light if . . . That is how you'd want to phrase it," Yami explained more. Bakura bristled immediatly, and crouched in a defensive way. "It is not a bad thing," Yami said, misunderstanding Bakura, with a smile on his face. "Moving on is a good thing. You will be able to leave this world behind."

Marik frowned at Yami. He felt a chill spill down his spine, and his gaze became a defiant glare. His lavender eyes twitched over to Bakura, who was looking angry as well. He obviously didn't like the sound of "moving on".

"I don't want to move on," Bakura growled, confirming Marik's thoughts. "I'm going to stay here with Marik, and I'm going to get a body for my own."

Yami's smile fell in a heartbeat, and a foreboding gaze took over.

"I can't allow that, spirit," Yami growled. "That is not right. Meddling in witchcraft to form a body is wrong . . . Now, I ignored your previous wrongdoing but-"

"What wrong doing?" Marik interrupted, crossing his arms.

Yami blinked. "The possession of Akefia Touzouku."

"Well, aren't you possessing Yugi Moto right now?" Marik questioned, arching an eyebrow. Bakura gave a triumphant smirk before floating up and nestling down on Marik's shoulder.

Yami's face turned red, anger showing up for the first time. "Don't you dare confuse what I do with that filthy poltregeist on your shoulder! I do not possess my partner!"

"Partner, he says?" Bakura grinned. "Oh please, we've all seen Yugi stroking that Puzzle. Do you honestly think we're going to believe you're just partners?" Bakura sneered at the last word, and Marik fought to hide his grin. He wanted to look serious right now.

"Yugi is my partner," Yami said in a clipped tone. "Nothing more, nothing less. Either way, it has nothing to do with you two."

"Well, in that case, whatever Marik and I do has nothing to do with you," Bakura said triumphantly, and Yami's eyebrow twitched.

"It'll never work, you know."

"What won't?" Marik and Bakura demanded at the same time.

"Your relationship." Yami said, red orbs flickering from one and then to the other. "You should give it up. You'd both need to be dead, or you'd both need to be alive first."

"Which is why I'm getting me a body!" Bakura snarled. Marik looked at him, looking confused. "Don't look at me like that," Bakura said, not even bothering to let his gaze wander to Marik. He was to busy being filled with hatred at the tri-colored teen before them.

"You have recieved my warning," Yami growled, before putting his hands to the Puzzle. "Heed my advice. Do not meddle with the witchcraft."

"Up yours!" Bakura growled

Yami just tsked, before gripping the Puzzle. He muttered, "Yugi," and then he was gone. He was replaced by a slightly dazed looking Yugi. The boy looked to Marik, a slightly apologetic look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Marik but . . . spirits shouldn't be messed with. You should listen to Yami. He's been here a long time," Yugi said softly, looking down at the Puzzle.

"You seem to be messing with spirits quite a lot," Marik said coldly, before turning his back on Yugi. Yugi bit his lip, but didn't argue. He couldn't, after all. Marik stalked off, and Bakura clung to his shoulder.

Bakura cast one last dirty look at the small boy, before he and Marik exited the cafeteria.

-(-o-)-

**By the way, Melvin is not a ballerina He does a different type of dance. Not quite sure what . . . Probably something like hip hop or jazz, I dunno. Anyways.**

**And Panda-Kills: I'm confused on the question "Is Melvin getting something out of these lessons?" Er . . . The only thing I could think that means is Lessons With Benefits, in which case . . . no. xD Just. . . No.**

**But then again, I'm a pervert, and you could've just meant something simple. -Sigh- AND YAAAAY. Summer's here and my Freshman year is done! Thank God . . .**

**Either way!**

**Oh; for this chapter's question:**

**Do you think Bakura will get his body?**

**Well, please review and whatnot,**

**Seeya!**


	17. Chapter 17: Ryou's Warning

Bakura had a dream.

Or . . . At least, he thought that was what it was. It was pretty real though, but for the sake of arguement inside of his head, he just called it a dream. He didn't know what caused it to happen, or even how, for that matter, since he was just a spirit. The fact that he couldn't sleep at all pretty much should have ruled out things like that but yet . . .

Bakura's dream had taken place in a blindingly white room. With his hair and skin color he was practically invisible. He was kneeling on what he assumed to be the floor, confusion evident on his face. He looked down and realized he was wearing a white tunic with black stitches up the side.

He frowned at it, before he stood up, scanning the room. He saw the air shimmer off to the side, and he immediatly lurched towards it. He could see dark brown orbs floating in the air, and a hazy outline of a person surrounding them.

Black horns erupted from the figure's head, completely visible against the white backdrop. A small tail with a forked end protruded from the backside, and curled around the thing. The figure began moving towards Bakura, matching his pace.

They stopped, a few feet apart from each other, and Bakura could only gape in surprise.

It was Ryou.

The boy had long white hair that fell down his shoulders. It was messy, like Bakura's, but it was missing his trademark spikes. The brown orbs he'd spotted had been Ryou's soft, kind, shining eyes. The outline of him was now defined, and Bakura could see that his brother was wearing a long white dress that covered his feet. Long-sleeves would've covered his hands, had they not been clasped to the boy's chest.

Ryou's lips were parted slightly, and his chocolate eyes gleamed with unspoken feelings and words. The whittete slowly moved forward to a transfixed Bakura. He shivered as he felt his brother's hand rest on his cheek.

"Bakura. . ." Ryou said softly, his eyes crinkling around the edges.

"Ryou . . . How're you . . .?" Bakura was dumbfounded, to say the least. His eyes kept focusing on the horns and tail. For a second, he'd felt hopeful that his brother was back, and they would now be together. But, thinking about it more thoroughly, he felt a sickening feeling twisting in his stomach.

Ryou was dead.

He was seeing his dead brother in a dream.

Ryou wasn't going to come back.

"It's all right," Ryou smiled, and his hand rubbed small circles across Bakura's cheek. After a moment, it slipped down to his shoulders, and Bakura was pulled into a hug. Ryou's face was pressed into Bakura's neck, and Bakura could feel Ryou shuddering against him.

Bakura stood stock-still. He could feel warm tears seeping through his tunic to touch his skin. Was this a dream, then? Should he have been able to feel Ryou so easily if it was?

Ryou pulled back then, and his red-rimmed eyes stared into Bakura's crimson ones. The whittete smiled softly, before letting his hand cup Bakura's face again.

"It's good to see you," Ryou said softly, still staring up at Bakura.

"Yeah," Bakura growled, not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

Ryou looked down at the floor, and Bakura could see it fade away. They were still standing on solid ground, but now Bakura could look through the clear ground and see a sleeping Marik. The boy was curled up with the Millenium Ring and Arty the Winged Dragon of Ra plushie clasped in his hand. A book was off to the side, from where Marik had been reading some of the witchcraft books.

Bakura dropped to his knees, and stared down at Marik. He felt something bubbling in his chest, and he felt a sudden need to be down there beside the boy. Instead, he settled for just pressing his face as close as he could, and staring at the sleeping form of his Egyptian friend.

"I see . . ." A quiet voice said above him, and Bakura rolled onto his bottom, looking incredulously up at Ryou. He felt guilt prick at him, since he'd just now realized that he'd forgotten Ryou instantly upon the sight of Marik.

Ryou didn't seem offended though, just sad. The boy sank to his knees, and fiddled with his tail. Bakura felt his gaze locking onto it again. He wondered why that was there.

"Bakura, you know you could come with me, right?" Ryou broke the silence. The whittete had dropped his tail, and was now moving forward to where he was almost in Bakura's lap.

"What?" Bakura said, dumbly. His crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"You could come with me. To Heaven."

Bakura blinked in surprise at his brother. The thought tickled his brain for a moment, and Bakura found himself wondering if he should. He could spend eternity with Ryou! They could be brothers again, unseperated.

But then Bakura's gaze lingered on Marik, and he quickly inched back towards the transparent ground. He stared at Marik, and again felt that strange sensation.

"Ryou I . . ." Bakua began, and turned his stare reluctantly back to his brother, "Ryou I don't think I can. . . ."

Ryou looked heartbroken for a moment, but he quickly recovered. Instead, the whittete adopted a strange mask of no emotion that looked almost wrong on his kind face.

"Everytime you look at him, you forget about me . . ." Ryou said, his voice quiet.

Bakura frowned. He didn't like the way that sounded. He didn't speak, though, because he was quite hoping that Ryou would possibly elaborate.

"I've waited for you for a while. . .For you to find your way to the light so we could go on together. . . . But you never showed up. Ever. Until tonight. The Angels showed mercy on me and decided that I should be allowed to talk to you . . ."

"The Angels?" Bakura questioned.

"The Angels," Ryou nodded sadly. "They're the spirits who have been allowed to pass on, because they have nothing anchoring their spirits in place, and they have no sins that needed to be sorted out."

"What . . .What are you?" Bakura asked suspiciously.

"I am . . . I am nothing. . ." Ryou drew a circle on the white floor, as he hid his brown eyes from Bakura. "I made it to the light. . . The Angels said maybe, since there was three of us going all at once, you just got knocked to the side. . . But mother and I made it to the light. Mother was accepted but . . . I wasn't let in."

"Why not?" Bakura growled, eyes flashing.

"Because I committed a bad sin . . ." Ryou whimpered, hugging his knees to his chest. "Not bad enough to send me to Hell. . . But . . ."

"What was your sin?" Bakura questioned. He'd never known Ryou to ever have done a bad thing in his life!

"I . . . I loved someone I shouldn't have," Ryou confessed, biting his lip. The boy didn't seem inclined to talk about it, so Bakura just decided to step over that sticky spot and ask the boy a question that was now bothering him.

"You said we could go on together, but you've never made it over there. How would that work?" Bakura didn't really mean it too, but when he'd said it, it sounded almost accusatory.

"Oh well . . ." Ryou fidgeted with his fingers. "The Angels said that they could forgive me for my sins as long as I repented, but I didn't want to go on without you. But, now that you're here, we can go on! Together!" Ryou's voice adopted a pleading tone, and the boy hopped up and grabbed Bakura's hands, almost desperatly.

Bakura opened his mouth to say 'yes', but again he saw Marik. Now, the boy was awakening. Bakura left Ryou's grasp, to press himself to the floor again.

The blonde boy below him was waking up, yawning slightly. He could see that Marik was hugging the Ring close, and was whispering softly to it, probably trying to get Bakura to come out.

He saw the tanned face crinkle in confusion as he recieved no answer. Bakura could see that Marik was feeling slightly panicky, even though the boy was good and hiding his emotions.

Bakura quickly hopped to his feet, before turning to a wounded Ryou.

"I need to leave. Marik's waiting for me. Ryou, you're my brother, and you'll always be important to me but . . .you should go on alone. I have no intentions of leaving." Bakura said this all in a rushed voice, and he wasn't even sure if Ryou got all of it. His gaze wouldn't even sit for long on the white haired boy. He only had eyes for the distressed Egyptian down on Earth.

Ryou made a broken sobbing noise, before standing up.

"The. . . The Angels," Ryou whispered as silent tears pooled from his eyes, "the Angels told me to tell you no Witchcraft or Alchemy. You are dead. You need to remain as such."

Bakura snarled in response. If Ryou wasn't his brother, he would've hit him. Why was everybody so against Bakura gaining a body? He needed that body for him! For Marik! Why couldn't anybody else see that?

"The door . . ." Ryou said, before pointing off to the side. Bakura saw a golden door erupting from white mist. Bakura was going to say thank-you to his brother, but the white haired boy had already turned his back on Bakura.

Bakura walked to the gate, thinking of Marik. Marik. Marik. But he stopped, just before he opened the door, and looked back.

"Will they let you into Heaven now, Ryou?" Bakura questioned.

"They might," Ryou answered in a broken voice. "Now that I know my love doesn't matter. And that I should give it up."

"Who . . ." Bakura hesitated, before opening the door. "Who was the one you loved that you weren't allowed to?" He asked, before he felt a soft golden light erupting around him, pulling him backwards.

"You," was the reply he heard, before he felt himself falling backwards into the real world.

Bakura cracked open his eyes, to see he had landed in a shuddering Marik's lap.

"Jeez, it took you forever to get here!" Marik complained, trying unsuccesfully to hide his relief. "And why did you fall from the ceiling anyways? Weren't you in the Ring?"

"No . . ." Bakura muttered, before moving himself from the shivering Egyptian's lap. He did not want to share what had just happened with the curious blonde before him. Bakura himself didn't quite know how to feel, so he just shoved it to the back of his mind. He reached over, instead, to pick up the book Marik had been reading.

"I haven't seen anything yet about making bodies," Marik said conversationally while picking Arty up and straighetning him. "But that doesn't really mean anything. Touzouku. . . I mean Akefia, will be by in a few days with some more books and. . ." Marik paused, noticing Bakura's unenthusaistic expressoin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bakura grumbled, setting the book down. "I just wonder that . . .Maybe we shouldn't do this?"

Marik stared at him, blinking a few times, before shrugging.

"It's your body," Marik replied, swinging his feet off the side of the bed.

"Yeah . . ." Bakura responded. "Well . . ." the albino sighed. "I guess we should at least try . . ."

Marik nodded, before standing up. He sniffed the air, before grinning slightly.

"Ishizu's making pancakes. I wouldn't hold it against you if you took over Melvin to eat some. She makes them really good." With that, the Egyptian sauntered out of the room and left Bakura to his disturbing thoughts.

-(-o-)-

**Yeah, that whole thing with Ryou was probably really confusing, but it was just another way of someone throwing out a warning and showing that Bakura wants Marik.**

**And, sorry if I offended any of you with talk of Heaven or Hell. I am a Christian, but I'm not going to try and shove my beliefs down peoples' throats. That doesn't make you want to be a believer that makes you hate it more.**

**Anyways, let's just say yes, Ryou gets to Heaven, because I'd feel bad just leaving him there(even if I don't like ) I think I made Ryou to much of a sissy, but oh well.**

**And you'd think, with no school, updates would come quicker, but my brain apparently disagrees. . . .Jeez.**

**Any questins, comments, concerns? Put it in a review, please! = D**

**Seeya!**

**(By the way, I have had images of Yami Marik dancing in my head for the past week . . . xD Especially since someone proposed the idea of Interpretive Dancing . . . Imagine Yami Marik as a peaceful tree, and then a bubbling brook, just to turn into the crouching tiger and the timid mouse. . .**

**EFF! XD)**


	18. Chapter 18: Marik's Proposition

"What's wrong Kura?" Marik questioned, as he flopped down on the bed next to his ghostly friend. Bakura lifted his despondent gaze from the floor to give Marik a hollow look.

"Nothing," Bakura replied, before looking away from the blonde boy next to him. He felt guilty everytime he let his gaze wander over the purple-loving boy. He was constantly reminded of how he had given up Ryou for Marik.

Had that been the right choice? Bakura loved Ryou, after all (like a brother, anyways). Did he love Marik?

Bakura's gaze shifted back to the blonde, and he studied the tanned boy intently. Marik frowned at him, before nervously stroking the Millennium Ring. Bakura wasn't quite sure what to think, though. He liked Marik, sure. But he wasn't quite to ready to admit love.

"You've been looking all depressed and you won't look at me anymore," Marik said, and his eyes narrowed in accusation as he studied Bakura with a slightly miffed expression. Bakura sighed, before leaning back on the bed with his elbows.

"Just drop it, Marik," Bakura growled. He saw Marik sit up stick-straight, and glare angrily at the albino spirit. Bakura groaned, before dropping all the way onto his back. He looked up at Marik, expecting an arguement.

The boy didn't, though, and he just stood up.

"Akefia's going to be by soon," Marik said in a cold voice, before walking out of the room. Ishizu and Kaiba were downstairs in the living room, discussing quietly while Duel Monster cards were spread out across the couch before them.

"Blue Eyes is strong, but isn't it almost like cheating?" Ishizu said. "If there's truly only one card that can defeat it, and it is the hardest ever to summon, apparently."

"It's not cheating," Kaiba defended, before running a finger over the card. "It's a wonderful way to ensure victory. Especially when you have three."

"Plus the Polymerization?" Ishizu questioned, tilting her head and pointing to said card.

Kaiba smirked. "Of course."

Marik rolled his eyes, before moving into the kitchen. He saw Melvin sitting at the table, scarfing down cereal.

"Hey, faggot," Melvin greeted as he pushed more cereal down his throat. Marik noticed that he was eating Lucky Charms, and he was only eating the brown pieces.

"Melvin, why don't you eat the marshmallows?" Marik questioned. He didn't really care, but he needed conversation. Just something to keep him preoccupied until Touzouku appeared.

"Because the marshmallows are the best part," Melvin explained with a snort. His tone was uppity, like it should've been obvious.

"Okay. . ." Marik said, before sitting down in the wooden chair across the table.

Melvin ignored him other then that, and took to making his marshmallows scream as he scooped them up onto his spoon. Marik recognized some of the screaming was in Japanese, and that Melvin was making them say "Save me! Save me!"

Sighing slightly, Marik felt relieved when a knock came from the doorway. When he came into the living room, he saw Ishizu there, welcoming Touzouku in.

"Hello, Touzouku," Ishizu welcomed, smiling and bowing slightly before she moved back to Kaiba. Kaiba glared at Touzouku, who just looked confused. After all, he knew nothing of Bakura and Kaiba's unstated rivalry.

"Hey, Akefia," Marik greeted as he rolled into the living room. "Come on upstairs. Bakura's up there."

Ishizu turned around, her interest piqued. Marik just shot her a look, though, before tromping up the stairs. About halfway up, Mrs. Ishtar appeared at the top of the staircase. She took one look at Touzouku, before her face took on a delicate shade of green.

Touzouku was clearly confused, and only grew more so when Mrs. Ishtar rushed past him and a slamming door sounded in her wake. The whittete looked pointedly at Marik, who just groaned and slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Back when Bakura used to possess your body," Marik explained, "he came over for dinner once and ate a raw, bloody steak."

Touzouku took the news in passing, though, and just nodded his head sagely. "That would be why your brother Melvin asked me if I was going to eat more blood. . ."

Marik blinked, before nodding slightly. "Yeah," the blonde said, before walking the rest of the way to his and Bakura's room. The spirit was on the bed, making Arty the Winged Dragon of Ra dance around across the comforter.

"Bakura," Marik said, and the spirit's head snapped up.

"Oh, hullo," Bakura muttered, before rising into the sitting position. Arty immediatly fell back into his lifeless state. The spirit focused in on Touzouku then. "Where are your books then?"

"At my house," Touzoukiu answered, growling slightly. His arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Bakura. "Marik and I have been researching seperatly, so we decided to come together and do comparisons."

Bakura frowned, and Marik moved over to the bed. The blonde sat beside his friend, as Touzouku seated himself on the floor. Bakura went straight next to Marik, and put his arms lightly over the boy. Marik shivered beneath his touch, but relaxed as the chill dulled.

Touzouku noticed the movement, and raised his eyebrows. Marik decided that Touzouku didn't need an explanation, and instead motioned for Touzouk to begin speaking.

"Yes, well, from what I've read, there are spells to create a faux body but . . . They're incredibly tricky. And none of the ingredients exist nowadays." Touzouku spoke, before ending his sentence with a sigh.

Marik opened his mouth to speak, but Bakura cut him off with a growl. "And what bloody good does that do us?" The spirit demanded, sneering at Touzouku from beside Marik. The blonde gave him a reproachful look.

"I've found simliar spells," Marik said, glaring angrily at Bakura, before shifting his lavender gaze to Touzouku. "But that's it. All other spells are things like remaining youthful forever, or gaining riches beyond your most wild imagination. . ."

Touzouku's brow furrowed, and he stared at the ceiling. Bakura surprisingly wasn't bothered at all by this news. He vaguely wondered if this was a sign. Yami and Ryou had both warned against gaining a body.

Bakura, however, didn't see another option. He wanted to be with Marik, to be allowed to talk and touch the boy as he pleased. Whenever he wanted Marik to talk to him in public, he should just be allowed to lean over and speak words and recieve an answer. Not have to read a bloody text message everytime!

And if Bakura wanted to hug Marik, or just rest an arm on him, he wanted the boy to warm up beneath his touch. He didn't want Marik shivering everytime they made contact! And Marik couldn't hug or kiss Bakura back at all!

While he'd been phased out, Marik and Touzouku had gone over different ingredients. Several things that kept cropping up were dragon claws and unicorn horns. They both knew these things couldn't possibly exist, but they were trying to go over what they could possibly mean in modern times.

"Well, maybe a dragon claw could be referring to a Komodo Dragon?" Touzouku tried, tilting his head.

"Even if that were true, how would we even get one of those?" Marik respodned drily. "I doubt people go around just clipping Komodo Dragons. Their bites are deadly, after all, so I doubt people just go waltzing up to them."

"Valid point," Touzouku conceded, before letting a sigh escape his lips. "Other then the obvious lizards, I don't know anything else that could relate back to a dragon."

"Yeah," Marik agreed, nodding his head in an absent minded sort of way. "And even if we got those, what about the unicorn horn? The animals with horns are usually protected by law, since people want their horns so badly."

Touzouku made a noise of agreement, before running a hand through his hair.

"I really just don't know, Ishtar. I'll go back to researching, either way. Just see if you can keep that damned spirit of yours in check until then," Touzouku spat, before standing up. He exited the house then, and left Marik and Bakura alone.

"So that got us aboslutly no where," Bakura muttered sullenly, before floating a little ways up into the air. Marik scowled.

"Did you honestly think this would be an overnight fix?" Marik asked, flopping back on the bed. "It's going to take time."

"What if it doesn't work ever?" Bakura inquired, floating over top Marik. He then let himself drop a little so he was straddling the boy's waist. Marik shivered slightly, before looking up at Bakura with something like sympathy.

"Then I don't really know," Marik shrugged, before feeling a dull coldness taking over his pelvis area. "Bakura, that's cold," Marik grunted, lifting his hips a little to try and move out of the ghost's area.

Bakura said nothing, he just lowered his face down to kiss Marik. The boy quit struggling, and allowed the pleasant coolness to coarse through him. He smiled slightly, and Bakura sighed as he pulled back.

Bakura wanted to be able to touch Marik more. Rolling off of the blonde boy, he saw Marik turning on to his side. Lavender eyes were watching him, and Bakura turned his crimson gaze to his friend's.

"What?" Bakura asked.

"Nothing," Marik said.

They sat in silence after that. Marik just sat there, stroking the Ring and watching Bakura. The spirit, in turn, returned his gaze. Eventually his hand snaked out and covered up Marik's.

Marik shuddered slightly at the contact, and he saw Bakura frown.

"Is there another way?" Bakura questioned, his voice deep and growling.

"Another way for what, exactly?" Marik asked, propping himself up on an elbow.

"Well, I mean. . . For us to be together. . ." Bakura's mouth worked out the words in an awkward way. "Other then making me a body. I doubt it's going to happen, Marik, I truly do."

Marik nodded slowly, before running a hand through his hair.

"There's another way though. . . It should be a last resort."

Bakura tilted his head. "Well, what is it then? You can't just say and then not bloody tell me!" Bakura hopped up to his knees, and he glared at Marik. The boy before him chewed his lip, before looking to Bakura.

"I could commit suicide. Then I'd be a ghost, right?" Marik said, looking slightly exited. On the outside, Bakura remained calm, but on the inside his feelings were running rampant.

Suicide was certainly an option but. . . Would Marik really be willing to do that? And either way, what if Marik went on to Heaven? Could Bakura just all of a sudden decide to move on? It was a desperate gamble, and Bakura didn't know if it was honestly worth it.

"Marik, I don't think suicide is the answer. . ." Bakura mumbled, fidgeting.

Marik studied him for a moment. "Look, Bakura I've. . . I've thought of suicide before. Even before I met you. . ."

Bakura felt his insides squirm, and he looked up into Marik's eyes, waiting for the boy to continue. Marik took a deep breath, before plowing on.

"I've wanted to commit suicide a lot, actually. But I always stopped to think 'well what exactly would I be accomplishing, after all?'." Marik fidgeted with the ends of his hair. "Wouldn't this give me a reason though? Maybe. . . Maybe we aren't in love, and being together an eternity would completely destroy our friendship but. . . If that happens I could just tie myself down to an item of some type and leave."

Bakura frowned, but Marik just shook his head.

"Just hear me out, Bakura. I think if we were both ghosts, we'd be able to interact." Marik blushed slightly at that thought. "I'd be dead but. . .I could still see my family, after all. It's not like Id' be leaving anything behind! You're my only friend, after all. . ."

Bakura sighed, leaning against the wall. "I just don't like people wasting the lives they were given, is all," the spirit grunted, and Marik at least had the decency to look slightly abashed.

"How about we make a deal?" Marik asked, scooting closer to Bakura.

"What type of deal?" Bakura questoined, eyes narrowing.

"Well, if we can't find a way to make you a body before school starts, then I can make the decision for suicide. That gives us three months to search." Marik held up three fingers, studying Bakura's reaction as he said this.

Bakura grimaced. He didn't really like that proposition.

"C'mon, Fluffy. Agree with me. This plan is brilliant!" Marik smirked. "It gives me time to plan things, after all. Just in case," Marik added hastily, seeing Bakura's expresion.

The spirit groaned, before running a hand through his fluffy white hair.

"All right then, Marik," Bakura agreed grudgingly. "But you better work your tanned ass off these three months."

-(-o-)-

**Updates updates. . . -Sigh-**

**So the countdown starts! Which also means this fic is slowly coming 'round to an ending. Jeez. **

**Then Inside of You will end (or end before this, guess depending on the updating I do) and then after that, I'm going to be taking requests, if you guys would like that.**

**If you want a certain shipping/storyline/anything like that, then you can tell me. Even if it's a shipping I don't like, I will try. xD (Probably. . .)**

**Either way: Questions, comments, concerns?**

**Put 'em in a review!**

**Seeya!**


	19. Chapter 19: Game Called LIFE

Marik sat at his desk, flipping through a new book. Touzouku had been bringing over new books every few days. Bakura was sitting on Marik's shoulders, watching the pages fly by as the blonde boy he was seated upon speed-read through all the lists.

The Egyptian boy was constantly doing research as well by going to the library, and seeing if he could find anything that could possibly be related to the ingredients given in the books. He hadn't come across anything yet, but being on summer break gave him plenty of time to go to the library.

Ishizu was more then happy to drive him, since she was always out with Kaiba anyways. This worked for Marik, since even when he finished early at the library, he could just go and hang out with Bakura somewhere until the alotted time.

Bakura often took over random strangers long enough for he and Marik to go grab ice cream, cake, or other things like that until it was time for Ishizu to pick them up. Then they'd walk back to the library and appear to be the innocent teenager and ghost that had just been diligently studying.

"Marik. . ." Bakura said from atop Marik's shoulder. The blonde boy looked his way for a moment to let Bakura know to speak, before his attention shifted back to the book.

"Well, we're down to our last month. . ." Bakura said softly, chewing his lip. He couldn't feel the pain, though, so it did him no good to do this action. It relieved no stress. It was merely something to do out of memory.

"Yes, Bakura," Marik said, nodding his head.

"And we haven't found anything."

"Apparently not."

"I don't like that," Bakura muttered, before floating down to where he was sitting on the desk beside the book. Marik sighed, and closed the cover of the book he had been reading.

"I don't like it much either, Bakura. Quite honestly, I'd rather you live then me die." Marik stated all this in a matter-of-fact voice, before flicking some bangs from his eyes. "But that doesn't matter. Either way, we're going to keep trying." Bronzed shoulders shrugged, before Marik stood up.

Bakura hopped off the desk too, and floated behind Marik as the boy exited the room.

"Are you done looking at the books?" Bakura questioned.

"That was the last one for this week," Marik replied. "Touzouku will be by in a few days with a new one.

"I don't like how slowly this boy brings the books," Bakura snarled. "Did you tell him your life was on the line?"

"No," Marik said in an airy tone. They were now in the kitchen, and Marik was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. The blonde had stuck his hand into the drawer, before pulling out a butter knife. He studied it idly.

"Why not?" Bakura asked, crossing his arms.

"It's not really his business," Marik answered, before running his finger along the teeth of the butter knife. "How do you think I should commit suicide? If it comes to that?" Marik asked, before setting out to spreading the peanut butter over his slice of bread.

Bakura scowled. "Don't talk like that. It might not even come to suicide."

"You're right," Marik sighed, before spreading jelly over the opposite piece of bread. "But if it does. . ."

"Let it be a spur of the moment," Bakura said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Marik looked at him with a slightly sad look, before picking up his plate and sitting down at the kitchen table. Bakura settled opposite him, and watched Marik as he ate.

"Either way. . . You'll be a what, a junior next year?" Bakura asked, tilting his head in a bored sort of way.

"Yeah," Marik replied, licking some jelly from his fingers.

"So you're one year younger then me when I died," Bakura said, scratching at the table. No wooden shavings came up though, and he was left watching his fingers fall slowly through the grain.

"Interesting," Marik said, before grinning. "So were you that short in life?"

Bakura spluttered for a moment, before his eyes narrowed. "Screw you, Ishtar. I'm only a few inches shorter then you are."

"Resorted back to Ishtar, have we?" Marik smirked teasingly. "And don't blame me that you got jipped in the height department."

"Whatever," Bakura muttered, glaring at Marik from across the table. "And it's not like I'm as short as Yugi or anything!" The albino spirit jabbed a finger at Marik, who just laughed.

"I do believe Yugi qualifies as a midget." Marik said in an offhand voice.

"Not quite," Bakura aruged. "He's over four feet."

"Ah, technicalities. How they ruin all the fun," Marik laughed, before picking up his plate. He went to the sink to wash it off, as Bakura watched the boy from his seat.

_Do I love Marik?_ He thought. Was it just physical attraction? Because certainly, Marik was plenty pretty. The way his golden blonde hair streamed down between his shoulder blades, and crested his bronzed forhead before falling into perfect lavender eyes. The way he was shaped was of course wonderful too. His outfits didn't leave much to the imagination either.

So, of course physcial attraction was there, but what did Bakura like about Marik. The real Marik.

Well, Marik was-

"Bakura!" Marik interrupted, and Bakura jumped slightly. "What do you want to do today?" The blonde asked, before facing Bakura and crossing his arms as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Oh. . ." Bakura muttered, his thought process running into hyperdrive from trying to catch up with what was going on in the real world.

Marik just rolled his eyes though. "Wanna play some board games?"

"Yeah, sure," Bakura grumbled, before following Marik up the staircase. The boy wandered into his mother's room, before exiting holding a game called _LIFE_. Bakura stared at it, before tilting his head.

"Really, Marik?" Bakura grinned. "That's the game you come out with?"

"It was either this or Dragonology," Marik sniffed. "And that's Melvin's game. He'd cut off my hands if I even thought about touching it." Bakura arched his eyebrow at the hyperbole, but Marik shook his head. "I'm dead serious," the blonde enthused.

"All right then. . ." Bakura said, before drifting along after the Eygptian. They set the game up in the living room, where Melvin was seated.

"Hey, faggots!" The elder male Ishtar smirked, before flopping down on the carpet across from Marik and Bakura. "Mind if I join in?"

"Why on Earth do you want to play?" Bakura snarled, glaring angrily across at Melvin. He'd wanted this time alone with Marik. Marik, however, just let out an exasperated sigh.

"There's nothing on TV, if you must know," Melvin replied, a grin stretching over his features. "Plus, I knew you wanted to be alone with my little shemale of a brother. So what better way to grate on your nerves, spirit?" Melvin erupted into cackles, before Marik flicked something at Melvin.

The elder blonde immediatly quit laughing to glare down at the offending object. It was a small red car.

"What. . ?" Melvin looked up.

"You always choose red," Marik explained, glaring across at his brother.

"Oh. . ." Melvin said, looking slightly confused as he eyed the red car between his fingers. "Aren't you going to give me a player then?" Melvin snapped back to his usual obnoxious self.

"In a minute," Marik sighed impatiently, before pulling out the blue car.

"Hey, who says you get blue?" Bakura questioned, pointing at the toy car.

"I do," Marik huffed, glaring back at Bakura.

"Why don't you get yellow or something?"

"I don't like yellow."

"You wear gold all the time."

"That's beside the point."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Melvin roared, and both Bakura and Marik jumped away from the board game. Melvin ignored them, before reaching across the game to grab the blue car. Next he scooped up the yellow car. Putting the hands behind his back, he switched which hand held the cars a few times, before bringing his hands out again.

Marik tilted his head, and scooted back up the board game, as did Bakura.

"Now, choose a hand. And that's the color you get," Melvin glared at both of them, silently daring them to challenge him.

"All right then," Marik said, before pointing at the right hand.

"Congratulations," Melvin huffed, before opening his hand. "You're yellow. And if I hear you bitch about it I'm shoving it down your throat, and then we'll just wait for you to shit it out so we can get on with the game. Understand?"

Marik nodded, before quickly plucking the yellow car from Melvin's hand. Bakura recieved the blue one, before giving a triumphant smirk to Marik. The blonde in turn merely stuck his tongue out at the spirit. Bakura took this chance to lean across and kiss Marik.

"Mm, nice show ladies, but let's get this game on the road," Melvin interrupted, as Marik's face flushed and he seperated from Bakura. "Isn't it cold kissing a dead guy?" Melvin questioned.

"Only at first. But it's a different cold from him touching me. . ." Marik said in quiet voice as he stared at the carpet from embarrasment.

"I was. . . Kidding about that question, but thanks for the information." Melvin snorted with laughter as his younger brother glared at him. He reached over and picked up a blue figurine.

Bakura followed suit, before picking up a pink figure as well.

"What're you doing?" Marik questioned. "You don't get married until later on in the game."

"Oh, it's not for me. This is for you, my little shemale," Bakura smirked, before pressing the pink item into Marik's palm.

"Why you-!" Marik shouted, before Melvin let out a low and dangerous growl.

"Take the damn figurine." Melvin commanded. As Marik opened his mouth -presumably to argue- Melvin let out another threatening sound. "You're practically a girl anyways, so just do it."

Marik mutinously shoved the girly figurine into his car, before placing it on the board where the College path started. Bakura and Melvin chose to start their career paths.

Drawing from the cards, Bakura and Melvin chose sallaries.

"Now, wait a bloody moment!" Bakura snarled. "How in the hell am I an Athelete making 20,000 dollars, whereas Melvin's a bloody teacher making a 100,000 dollars?"

"You're right," Marik said, nodding slightly. "It doesn't make sense. You'd never be an athlete. Just look at your body build." Both Ishtar brothers shared demonic grins, while Bakura scowled at them.

"And I'd never be a teacher anyways," Melvin snorted. "No, no. I'd be too tempted to rape hot teachers and kill little children. . . Preferably both at the same time."

Marik and Bakura both stared at Melvin, not quite sure what to say.

"I'm a sadist, what of it?" Melvin smirked, before twisting the spinner. Marik and Bakura wisely chose not to press the subject. No more words were spoken as Marik got his job as a Police Officer with 40,000 dollar salary, and they all moved throughout the board game.

Bakura finally piped up, though, when time to get houses came around.

"I live in a bloody shack?" Bakura said, staring a the card.

"At least it's cheap," Marik consoled, grinning slightly. "After all, you couldn't really afford the Victorian house like Melvin."

"Yes, Marik, thank-you for that reminder," Bakura muttered, before buying the shack. Melvin was in fits of laughter as he watched Bakura struggle through the game.

"Oh, looky here!" Melvin shouted at one point when he had a wife, two boys and two girls. "This is perfect for insest! Then I can have a rightful reason for disowning them atop that tall mountain over there!"

Marik and Bakura, yet again, wisely said nothing.

Melvin ended up winning the game with all the LIFE cards he'd managed to rake in.

"Now I retire!" He said theatrically, before parking his car. Marik rolled his eyes, and came in second, before giving an apologetic look to the spirit beside him who came in last. "How's that feel, Spirit?" Melvin cackled. Marik began putting up the board game, and Melvin began chucking pieces at his brother, presumably "helping" in his mind.

"About as a good as the rake up your ass as soon as I find one," Bakura muttered in reply.

"Ah, I knew you were kinky, spirit!" Melvin sniggered. "Are you into siblings?"

Bakura crinkled his nose, as Melvin laughed more.

"Well, I'm off to bed, butt-munchers!" Melvin then stood up and laughed all the way up the stairs. His maniacal laughter was still oozing from his room when Marik and Bakura headed back up the stairs.

"Well, that was a fun night, at least," Marik laughed before flopping down on his bed.

"Yeah," Bakura agreed, before floating over to the otherside of the bed. He rolled onto his side to watch Marik slowly drift off to sleep, a smile on his face.

It was slightly funny, now, how much Marik smiled. When Bakura had first met him he'd been a cynical, angry, bitter little brat. However, now he laughed and talked comfortably with people. Even Melvin! This night alone was proof that Marik had come far.

Said boy shifted in his sleep a little, and rolled onto his back.

Bakura sat up in bed, and watched Marik's sleeping form. He'd come to a decision.

If he'd ever lived long enough to feel love, Bakura figured it would've felt like this. It wasn't quite like the feelings in the movies and books, which is why Bakura hadn't recognized it at first, but it was love.

He didn't feel butterflies in his stomach whenever he looked to Marik. He supposed there was a pleasant little warmness that tickled the bottom of his stomach sometimes when Marik smiled, or laughed, but it wasn't that whole-body feelings like it was often described as.

No, it wasn't at all like the descriptions in the media. But it was deffinitly that.

It was love.

-(-o-)-

**Oh God. . . The OOC-ness. . .KILL ME NOW!**

**-Sigh- Either way. This was a filler, of sorts, but not really. Bakura needed to realize his feelings. Annnnd it was another way to show that Marik has indeed progressed since the story started.**

**Plus, I kinda needed a little bit more of Thiefshipping in there, because I didn't just wanna skip the three months and be like "HAAHA THE END YAY" And I also didn't wanna show all three months, because that would've been incredibly boring.**

**Either way. After this is finished, I've got a new idea (dammit) but it's Tendershipping, kind of. . . It's very dark, anyways. So, yes, Mein Poltergeist will be ending soon. This was a very long fic. . _ .**

**Ah~ questions comments concerns?**

**Put them in a review!**

**See ya!**

**(I gotta quit writing such long Author Notes. . .)**


	20. Chapter 20: Knives vs Forks

Marik awoke the week before school started, and sat up. No ways had yet been discovered on how to gain Bakura a body. Neither he nor Touzouku had been able to find anyway way of relating the ingredients to other items.

So when said blonde sat up in bed, his first thought was that he needed to figure out how to get everything into place.

Marik slid out of his bed, and looked at Bakura who had just exited the Millennium Ring. The spirit mumbled a good morning, before Marik stood up and got dressed. As soon as he slipped his shirt on, Marik trotted down the stairs.

Bakura followed after him, for once not aiming for the boy's shoulders.

The pair made their way into the kitchen, where Ishizu was making pancakes.

"Good morning Marik! Bakura," she nodded slightly. Ishizu had grown used to Bakura by now, and it didn't even bother her that he was there anymore. It seemed everybody had grown used to the idea of saying Marik along with the name Bakura following quickly after. Even his mother, it seemed, was quite over the fact that Bakura was Marik's shadow.

"Good morning sister," Marik greeted, whereas Bakura just grunted. Melvin was sitting at the kitchen table too, while making a fork and knife attack each other. Marik sighed, before seating himself across from Melvin.

"Hey, faggot, who d'you think would win? The fork or the knife?" Melvin brandished both utensils at once, while Ishizu let out an irritated noise. Marik tilted his head, and pondered over it for a moment.

"I suppose the fork. It has a more versatile way of attacking."

"Are you kidding?" Bakura snorted. "The knife would win, obviously."

"Why?"

"Knives are superior."

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

"SHUT UP!" Melvin yelled, and threw the knife and fork down. "Dammit you two! Fighting like an old married couple! You ruined my fun." Melvin then proceeded to pout as he flopped his head down onto the table. Marik and Bakura both stared mildly at each other, before coming to a silent truce.

Ishizu came over and scooped up the knife. "You don't even need a knife to eat pancackes! Why did you have this out?" The eldest Ishtar sibling then handed out two plates with pancakes and syrup.

"I was bored," Melvin muttered, before seizing the fork and cutting up his pancakes.

"All right then," Ishizu sighed in a defeated way, before grabbing her self a plate as well.

Bakura merely watched the Ishtars eating, as he found himself wishing for food. Marik saw his gaze, before motioning at the spirit. Bakura tilted his head, and Marik rolled his eyes at the spirit's stupidity.

"Possess me."

"Marik-"

"It's all right," the blonde stated, holding up a hand. "I'm giving you permission this time." Bakura just nodded slightly before jumping into Marik. He felt a tingling sensation for a moment, and then he looked down at his body. Flexing his hands, he saw the dark skin stretch across the tendons.

He felt a few of his fingers pop, before wincing. Then he scooped up his fork. He stared at the thing for a moment, before realizing that Melvin and Ishizu were staring at him. Scowling at both of them, he scooped up some of the pancakes, and put them in his mouth.

Marik hadn't lied.

Ishizu made some damn good pancakes.

He quickly shoveled some more in his mouth, savoring the taste, before hopping out of the body. Marik slumped over for a moment, and his head dangled from his shoulders. Bakura felt a slight sense of panic, but then the blonde head bobbed up, and Marik shivered.

"That was kinda cold," Marik confided, before finishing up his pancakes.

"Well, when I touch you it's cold," Bakura said, and ignored Ishizu's look of disaproval and Melvin's girn, "so naturally me going inside of you is cold."

"Wow, just imagine se-" Melvin started to say, but Ishziu quickly interrupted him

"That's enough," she said in a commanding tone, and even Melvin shut his mouth for a moment. He seemed to remember who he was, though, and quickly let his tongue flicker out, before throwing his plate in the sink.

Melvin left, and Marik rinsed off his plate.

"I'm not . . . Sleeping with Bakura, y'know," Marik said, and Ishizu nodded slightly. "Well, not in that sense, anyways." The female Ishtar just nodded once more, before shooing Marik from the kitchen.

"Well, back to studying," Bakura commanded, before shooing Marik up the stairs. Marik let out an exasperated sigh, before setting down to work.

-(-o-)-

It was the last day before school started.

Marik stared at the wall, and looked to the list he'd started making three months ago.

Nothing new had been added.

Bakura sat beside Marik, feeling misery as he watched the blonde boy slowly stand up from the bed. Marik began pacing, before looking to Bakura.

"So, the time has come for me to die," Marik said, tapping a finger against his chin. Bakura snarled slightly.

"Don't say tha-"

"Shut up," Marik commanded, glaring at Bakura. "I need to know what happened when you died, so I can know how to come back as a ghost. I need to choose my type of death as well. I don't want to start a school year and then die. No, no. It'll be easier to get it over with tonight."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Bakura demanded, crossing his arms and legs as he floated in the area above the bed.

"Because I chose this," Marik said calmly. "I chose to die. It's not like you, when you were murdered." Then the blonde got up and put on his favorite outfit. After all, if he was going to be wearing the same outfit for eternity, he decided it'd be one he liked. So, pulling on the lavender midriff and black cargo pants, he turned to Bakura.

"All I know is. . .Don't go towards the light," Bakura mumbled, staring at the ground. Ryou said that was how Bakura himself had become a ghost, was that he veered off track from the light. Would it work though? Could Marik, dying alone, possibly make it to the light, and never come back at all?

"Sounds simple enough," Marik said, before pacing again. "All right then, I'm going to go make my final good-byes."

"Won't your family be suspicious that you're all of a sudden telling them good-bye?" Bakura scowled, glaring at Marik's back.

"They might. . . But I'll try and be sneaky about it," Marik winked, before stroking the Millennium Ring. "If you don't mind, Bakura. . . Could you spend the day in the Ring?"

"What?" Bakura shouted, hopping up from the bed.

"Well, this is going to be slightly embarrasing." Marik shrugged. "I'd like you to not be present through any of it." Bakura mumbled more sounds of complaint, before dissolving into mist. He quickly shot into the Millennium Ring, and Marik exited his bedroom.

He could see Ishizu downstairs texting someone -probably Kaiba- and he decided to deal with her first. Making his way down the stairs, Marik headed towards his sister. She looked up to greet him, and noticed that Bakura wasn't there. Frowning slightly, she tilted her head in confusion.

"He's just. . . Feeling a little tired today," Marik said, before patting the faintly glowing Ring for emphasis.

"Oh," Ishizu replied, before looking back to Marik's face. "What is troubling you, brother?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to let you know that you're a. . . Uh. . . Good sister?" Marik said, before leaning forward and hugging Ishizu.

"You say that like you're going away. . ." Ishizu mumbled, before wrapping her arms around Marik and pulling him close. "Are you leaving us, brother?"

Marik gasped slightly, before he bit his lip. "No, sister," he lied, before giving a false laugh. "Of course not. But . . Even if I do leave, I want you to remember something. I'll always find away back. . ." With that, Marik pulled himself from Ishizu's grasp, gave her a shaky smile, before leaving the living room.

Next, he headed to Melvin's room. Knocking on the door, his brother wrenched it open.

"What is it, fudgepacker?" Melvin questioned, leaning with his shoulder against the doorframe.

Marik took a deep intake of breath, before saying, "I just wanted you to know that despite all of our differences, I think I look up to you. You're crazy, psychotic, and I wish half the time that I could kill you, but you are my big brother and. . ." Marik's voice dwindled. Talking to Melvin wasn't as easy as speaking to Ishizu.

Marik instead reached out and hugged Melvin around the waist. He let his head thump against Melvin's chest. His brother didn't react, but that was all right. Instead, Marik just pulled away, and quickly ran away from Melvin.

He stopped at his mother's room, and gave it a sad smile. He wouldn't be seeing her before he died. Maybe Ishizu would talk to her though. Instead, Marik entered his room, before pulling out his cellphone.

He first sent a message to Tea, telling her that she was a nice friend, and he apologized for that first misunderstanding of feelings between them.

Then, he sent a message to Yugi (he'd gotten the number from Tea), and told him that he'd made his decision.

_I hope you made the right one,_ Yugi sent back, and Marik simply closed the text message.

Lastly, he sent a message to Touzouku, telling the other boy not to bother bringing books over any more, and that Marik had appreciated his companionship. After that, he silenced his phone, set it on the desk, and stroked the Ring.

Bakura took this as his clue to come out of the Ring.

"Everything's taken care of now," Marik smiled sadly. "Except for my actual death, anyways."

"Yes, well, that does tend to put a damper on things," Bakura growled, before settling down on Marik's shoulders. "How are you going to do it?"

"Well . . I don't want to go back downstairs to grab a knife. . . Ishizu's already suspicious, and no doubt she'll stop me. . . So . . ." Marik let his gaze scan around the room, before his gaze flitted down the Millennium Ring.

"What're you thinking. . . ?" Bakura asked, his voice only slightly betraying his nervousness.

"Well. . . I could strangle myself. Hang myself. . . Something like that." Marik stood up then, and made his way over to the back of his door. There was a small little hook there for a shoe rack.

"Marik. . ." Bakura said softly, before floating over to the boy.

"Hey, spirit, can you lift me up?" Marik turned to look at Bakura. The spirit looked torn for a moment, before he nodded slightly. Wrapping his hands around Marik's body, he felt he boy shiver against him. Marik let himself be lifted up though, and Bakura kept them stationary as Marik lifted the Millennium Ring's string around the hook.

"Are you ready?" Bakura whispered, eying the only thing that was keeping Marik alive.

"Yeah. . ." Marik muttered, before Bakura leaned in and kissed him. Marik gave a small smile, before Bakura floated away from Marik. The boy fell down, and Bakura heard a sickening snap, before the Marik's body hung limp like a rag doll.

Bakura stared at the lifeless body of his friend, before sinking to his knees on the ground. No tears came, but he almost wished he could cry. Instead, he merely sat there until Ishizu came to bring them down to supper.

Bakura was sure he'd never heard someone scream so loud.

-(-o-)-

**Annd next chapter will be the last. Jeez. . . 21 chapters, hn. . . . Updates updates updates. Actually, the next chapter I might go ahead and finish today just to get this story over with.**

**I love this story, but dadgummit it needed to end! Ah well. AND MELVIN FINALLY GOT HIS HUG! xD**

**And this is the second time I've made Marik commit suicide. What the frig? Either way. . .**

**Rape the review button. It likes it.**

**See ya!**


	21. Chapter 21: Coming Home

Marik sat up in a dark tunnel. He wasn't quite sure where he was, but it wasn't his home. Next, he realized he was naked, but he wasn't embarrased. Strange how that worked, really. Instead, he just sat up.

Hadn't he commited suicide? Where was Bakura?

Then he saw a blinding light at the end of the tunnel. Was that where he was supposed to go out from? It made sense, after all. When you're in a dark tunnel, go towards the light to get out. So, nodding his head, Marik set off towards the light.

Smiling happily, he thought how good it would be to see Bakura again. That thought made his hand flicker up to his chest, where the Millennium Ring usually sat. His fingers scratched his bare skin though, and Marik froze.

"Bakura. . .?" Marik said in a quiet voice, before rotating in a circle. Where was Bakura? It was unnerving as could be to not have the spirit there with him! He looked to the light, before remembering something the spirit had told him.

_Don't go towards the light_

But the light was pretty. The light was warm. Marik wanted that light.

He wanted it badly.

So, despite his memory, he stumbled forward. After all, where else was there to go? There was no other breaks in the tunnel that would allow Marik to go anywhere other then the light. With this logic, Marik trudged onwards.

He was getting close to the light, and a delicious warmth was overtaking his body. He imagined this is what it would have felt like had he and Bakura ever shared a real kiss. Marik lightly traced his fingers over his lips, before pausing again.

Bakura wouldn't lie to him about the light.

But where else was there to go?

Marik took a few steps away from the light, before twisting his head to the side. He began walking off to the right in order to see if he could go anywhere else.

Instantly, a deep coldness washed over him, and he felt like he'd been dunked in a bucket of ice water. Marik let out sharp cry, but continued walking.

It slowly got colder and colder, before Marik collapsed to his knees. He felt his skin being ripped away, and when he looked down, he noticed that he looked misty. His body had taken on the same form as Bakura's always had.

Staring at it, he felt a slight tugging on his arm, before he was slung forward, catapulted through some dark unknown. He saw horrendous images shooting by: images of people being ripped in half; of eye sockets popping from heads; of a little baby being shoved into a running blender.

Marik felt the urge to retch, but he didn't have a stomach. Instead, he just attempted to curl up in a ball as best as he could. For some reason, though, the images were still visible. They still plauged his mind and eyes as he hurtled through that strange place of nowhwere.

That is until he slammed hard into a wooden floor. Groaning, Marik rose to his feet, before wobbling unsteadily. He realized, then, that he was in his old bedroom. Everything was still exactly where Marik had left it. Even the Millennium Ring, he noticed, was still on its little hook, swinging eerily.

Marik reached out for the doorknob, and clicked his door open. He walked down the hallway, and made his way down the stairs. He paused at the bottom though, and hid in the shadows, as he saw his family gathered around a still life form.

Ishizu sat clutching something close to her, sobbing into it as her hands turned white from clenching it. Melvin towered over top her, looking slightly stricken. He said nothing, though, and only stared downwards.

Bakura was there as well, though he was leaning against the wall, a stunned look on his face. Marik also noticed one of guilt and disgust. He wanted to comfort Bakura, but another part of him felt a strange sensation of wanting to see what Ishizu was crying over.

Slowly, Marik rose up. For some reason, he automatically knew that nobody could see him. That this was the perfect diguise. So, with the utmost confidence, Marik strode towards Ishizu. He stopped in front of her, and looked down at the thing in her arms.

At him.

At his dead body.

Marik recoiled a little, but felt something calm crawling into his belly. He didn't have to worry: He'd chosen this after all! It didn't really matter. So, with a slight nod, Marik slowly made himself visible.

Melvin was the first to notice, as his lavender eyes snapped to Marik. His jaw sagged a little, before coughing slightly and nudging Ishizu with his toe. The eldest Ishtar sibling's head snapped up, and she took in a deep, rattling gasp as she looked at Marik.

Bakura was the last to notice, and he slowly floated over from his position in the corner. He drifted over to Marik, before holding out a tentative hand. Ishizu glared through red rimmed eyes to the advancing ghost, but allowed Bakura to touch Marik.

Marik smiled slightly, before lifting a hand to cover up Bakura's.

"I can feel you," Marik whispered slightly, and Bakura's head bobbed slightly.

"Can you feel this?" Bakura muttered, before leaning in and crashing his lips onto Marik's.

-(-o-)- _20 years later. . ._

Camilia ran through the hallway, screaming with laughter as a ghostly form chased after her. The ghost had golden hair with bronzed skin, and his arms were stretched out in front of him as he glided behind her.

Her long black hair streamed out behind her, along with her tan dress that went to her ankles and covered her arms all the way to her wrists. Camilia quickly hopped down the stairs, before being caught in something icy cold.

An albino ghost stood before her, an agitated look on his face as Camilia quickly ran all the way through him. The ghost watched her with scarlet eyes, which narowed as he watched her skid a little on the hardwood floor.

"Sorry Uncle Bakura, but Uncle Marik's coming!" Camilia squealed, before collapsing to her knees, panting. The blonde ghost from before came down the stairs, grinning triumphantly as he tapped Camilia on the shoulder.

"I win," the ghost named Marik smirked as Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Marik," Bakura chided, before wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Shouldn't you grow up?"

"Never!" Marik shouted defiantly, before kissing Bakura lightly on the lips.

"Ew!" Camilia squealed in a joking way, before hopping up. "I heard Uncle Melly's coming to visit!" the little girl laughed, and Marik and Bakura shared amused glances.

"Uncle Melly?" Marik sniggered, looking down at Camilia.

"Yeah!" Camilia laughed. "He'll be coming today, and that's why mommy's so busy cooking. Daddy's even helping her!" With that, Camilia wandered into the kitchen, where her mother and father were.

Marik and Bakura followed suit, before sitting in chairs at the table. Ishizu, Camilia's mother, turned to face them. She gave them a soft smile, and Marik could see the beginnings of wrinkles taking up his sister's face.

"Have you three been behaving?" She questioned, before stirring some rice on the stove. A tall man with dark skin stood next to her, his black hair pulled into a ponytail at the back of his otherwise bald head.

"Of course, mommy!" Camilia giggled, hugging her mother.

"Go wash up," the dark man said, turning around and ruffling Camilia's hair. "Mommy and I need to finish up the food before Melvin gets here."

"Hi, Odion!" Marik chirped from his spot at the table. Odion smiled slightly at Marik, before shooing Camilia from the kitchen.

"How's Kaiba doing?" Bakura questioned, before looking to Ishizu. The elder woman laughed.

"Ah, him and Joey are still arguing all the time! The other day, it happened at the museum! I had to escort them out. Imagine, escortng my own boss!" Ishizu chuckled, before turning back to the rice.

Marik smiled, before floating over the table to Bakura. He settled on his fellow spirit's lap, before getting a kiss from Bakura. They'd been the ghosts here ever since Marik's death. Mrs. Ishtar had died in a car crash, but Marik found he wasn't exactly all that sad that his mother didn't come back. That meant she'd found the light.

Ishizu and Kaiba had broken up a long time ago, but Kaiba had given her a job at his museum that he opened up. Which was where Ishizu met Odion, and they got together. Ishizu had kept the house for the sake of Marik and Bakura, so naturally she chose to raise her family here.

Camilia grew up happily knowing that her uncles would always be around. Not to mention that they were an endless source of entertainment for her. The two ghosts, after all, still maintained their mind-set of teenagers.

A loud knocking ensued, then, and ripped Marik from his thoughts. He and Bakura both phased through the wall in time to see Melvin bursting open the door. In the twenty years since Marik's death, Melvin hadn't really changed all that much. His hair still defied gravity, and he was still the most psychotic jerk that Marik had ever known.

"Uncle Melly!" Camilia shouted, before launching herself down the stairs. She had soap suds still stuck to her hands as she launched herself forward before latching onto Melvin's neck. Melvin stood there awkwardly, before patting Camilia's head.

"Hey, kid," Melvin snorted, before pulling Camilia from him. The little girl just laughed as Melvin swung her a little before setting her on the ground. He then looked to Marik and Bakura, who were floating next to him now.

"Hey, uncle Melly," Bakura sneered, crossing his arms as he stuck his tongue out. Marik giggled slightly, before doing a few flips.

"Show off," Melvin growled, before glaring at Bakura. "And shut up, fudge packer, before I beat you with a Bible."

Marik and Bakura just smirked, before hurrying Melvin into the kitchen with Camilia's help.

"Guess what Uncle Melly! I had to write a paper about my hero, and I chose all three of my uncles! You got a whole paragraph to yourself! I told my teacher about how you make motorcyles and stuff! She thought it was cool!"

"Great, kid," Melvin grunted, before flopping down at the kitchen table.

"Hello, Melvin," Ishizu greeted, as Bakura and Marik both filed in before sitting down on the floor. Odion seated himself across from Melvin, while Camilia sat down next to her only living uncle.

"Hey, Uncle Melly, when're you gonna get a boyfriend like Uncle Marik?" Camilia jabbered as Ishizu started making everyone plates. Melvin groaned, before burying his face in his hands.

"You sound like your damned mother," Melvin growled. "I told you I'm not looking for anyone."

"More like nobody's crazy enough to want him!" Marik interjected from the corner.

Melvin snarled and growled at him, but Ishizu cut off all arguements by annoucning that everyone was to eat their dinner now.

-(-o-)-

Melvin had left, and Odion was tucking Camilia in as Marik and Bakura floated upstairs to their room. It, like themselves, hadn't changed at all over the years. Except for a few pictures of them with Touzouku and the rest of the family, along with drawings by Camilia. They'd soon discovered that ghosts could be in photographs.

Touzouku still came and visited them everyonce in a while, though Bakura didn't much care for the visits. Marik just ignored this though, and enjoyed his time with his friends.

Right now, however, was all about Bakura.

Bakura was lounging on the bed, as Marik moved over to his ghostly lover. He lowered himself atop Bakura, before engaging the albino spirit in a kiss. Bakura returned it, before running his hands up Marik's sides.

No matter that it'd been twenty years, Marik and Bakura still both felt thrills of joy at the fact that they could touch each other. It was a lovely thing.

Marik broke the kiss, just to plant one on Bakura's forehead. The albino spirit smiled up at Marik, before pushing some of the blonde's bangs off of his forehead.

"Together forever, _Mein Poltergeist."_

-(-o-)-

**Cheesy ending FTW! xD But no. . . **

**Ah. . . It's finally over. . . I feel slightly sad. . . Thanks for all you reviewers!**

**I know I usually do the long list of reviewers but. . . Um. . . I don't think I want to attempt that with this story! xD**

**Just: Thank-you all so very much, because without you all this story would've been nothing.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed reading Mein Poltergeist!**

**G'bye!**


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